Damn You For Making Me Love You
by mayquita
Summary: Emma and Killian are close friends and co-workers. And both are in love with each other. The problem? They keep their feelings secret not only to the other but also to the rest of their friends. When Elsa, Emma's best friend and Liam, Killian's brother and boss find out, they decide to work as a team with a clear goal, to get them to take the next step in their relationship.
1. Because The Night

Thank you so much to my beta, Chrissa, for helping me, fixing the mistakes and give me a tittle. This story is also possible thanks to Saraswans, she was the one who gave me the idea in the first place and has been supporting me along the way. You two are the best. This story was originally thought as a one-shot, but it was growing and growing to become this monster. This is a kind of an experiment since there will be four different POVs, all properly indicated. I found it quite interesting to write Emma and Killian relationship from the point of view of other people. Let me know what do you think.

* * *

 **Emma**

The streets of Boston passed before her eyes at full speed, wrapped in the lights and shadows typical of a big city. When the cab stopped at a red light for what seemed like the millionth time, Emma snorted, unable to hide her displeasure. The trip home had become torture. She couldn't wait to get to her apartment, lock herself in her bedroom and bury her head under the pillow. But it seemed like that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. Damn Irishman! The person who had ruined her night had a proper name. _Killian Jones_.

At least Elsa, sitting next to her, had the wisdom to remain silent. Though Emma could see from the corner of her eye that her friend gave her inquiring glances that also contained a hint of concern.

 _Damn Killian_. She repeated to herself as she closed her eyes and leaned her head against the back of the seat. The night had begun so well..., she thought in frustration. For the first time in what seemed like ages, her boss Liam Jones had taken pity on her and given her the whole weekend off.

" _I just hired two new waiters, we'll figure it out, the bar can survive for a couple of days without you. Now, guys, go out and have fun."_ Liam had explained to both she and Killian, her co-worker and Liam's brother. He had used that condescending, patronizing tone of his, as if he were speaking to his own children. The reaction of the two of them when Liam acted that way was always the same, rolling their eyes and shaking their heads.

And that's how she had ended on Friday night, going out to have a drink with Elsa and her sister Anna with the promise of an evening full of good moments, music and drinks from bar to bar. And everything went well until he appeared. Killian Jones, in all his splendor, with his swagger moves, his devilish grin, his damn dark hair falling on his forehead and his bright blue eyes with the ability to pierce hearts. The problem? He wasn't alone.

In spite of the crowd around them, for a brief instant their gazes had connected and at that moment everything else had ceased to exist, at least until her eyes moved to his left. It was then when her heart sank. Killian's left arm wrapped the shoulders of a pretty and smiling brunette. _Belle_. His friend. HIS FRIEND. His best friend forever, the one he had grown up with was in the city. With him. _Fuck!_

Emma knew of Belle's existence, of course, but until then, she had never met her in person, she had always been a distant figure. However, today she was here with him, and her mind kept creating different scenarios. _Why didn't Killian tell me anything before? Oh! Is that why Liam gave us the weekend off? So that Killian could hang out with Belle? Isn't she smiling at him too much? Why does he still have his arm around her shoulders?_

From that moment everything had gone wrong. He had come to where they were and introduced them to his friend. All she managed to hear was how Belle was addressing her, grateful to finally meet her in person. But she barely paid attention. At that moment she did not mind being rude. She'd have time for remorse later. She put all her effort into trying to keep a straight face enough to hide her inner agitation. He, on the other hand, also acted strangely as he met them, glancing absently, swinging his weight from foot to foot, hand scratching the back of his ear.

The result, she left the room after a few minutes of awkward conversation, alluding that she was tired, Elsa following her heels without saying a word. _Fuck, Fuck!_ In a twist of fate, he had ended up in the same bar as her, as if there wasn't an endless amount of bars in the damn city.

Although the trip was becoming endless, they finally arrived home a few minutes later. Emma didn't even bother to pay, she left the vehicle quickly, thinking that perhaps, if she hurried enough, she could reach her bedroom and lock herself there, thus preventing Elsa's interrogation.

Luck was not on her side tonight, of course. She lost precious minutes trying to find the keys inside her purse, as a series of curses escaped her mouth. "Where are my damn keys?" She muttered in frustration.

It was then that Emma remembered she had left her keys forgotten inside the apartment, something that didn't concern her at all at first since Elsa accompanied her. She groaned, smacking her forehead slightly against the door. How could she be so stupid?

"Were you looking for these?" Elsa arrived at that moment, her hand held up holding her keys and an inquisitive look on her face.

A sigh of resignation escaped her mouth as she stepped aside, allowing Elsa to finally open the door. The possibilities of locking herself in her bedroom without having to give any explanation completely vanished.

Still, she was reluctant to confess. If she had managed to keep the secret of her feelings for... an eternity, why should she give any explanation now? Maybe if she dropped herself on the couch and pretended to fall asleep…

In fact, that was the first thing she did as soon as she entered the apartment and after removing her heels. She collapsed on the sofa, covering her face with her right arm.

"Okay, enough, I thought the ride home would calm you down, but it seems like it's not like that, so tell me, what's going on, Emma?" Elsa's soft voice came to her ears but she did not respond at first, remaining in stubborn silence.

Elsa sighed. "Since the night has been ruined, I have a few hours to go, so I'm going to sit right here, right in front of you, and I'll wait for you to stop behaving like a child. I'm an older sister, remember. I know all the tricks. "

Emma moaned, sitting up to face her friend. "It's nothing, I was just tired."

"Tired ..." Elsa cocked her head slightly as she narrowed her eyes. "You know I'm not buying it, right? Come on, Emma, I know you always keep to yourself how you feel, but I also know this never ends well. So tell me, what's wrong?"

 _What's wrong? That's what I wanted to know_. She thought. She wasn't able —or didn't want to— put a name to her feelings. He was one of her best friends, for the love of God. And since both of them worked in the same place, they spent most of the time together, either in the bar or in the apartment of one of them, or having dinner with Liam... But this situation had caught her off guard and it had served to realize that perhaps she wasn't going to keep Killian for herself as a friend forever. A moan escaped her mouth at the thought of that, though she sealed her lips hastily, unwilling to voice aloud how she felt.

Elsa looked at her expectantly for a few seconds, but seeing that she was silent, she sighed in frustration. However, she didn't give up, to her disgrace. "Okay, you're not going to talk, so I'll have to figure it out for myself." Her eyes narrowed and her brow wrinkled as she thought. "The night was going well, we were having fun, we had just got our drinks..."

 _Don't go that way…_

"Then we met Killian, we were talking for a while..."

 _Don't_

Her eyes widened when she finally realized. "Oh my god! This was all about Killian! But why? Did he say something that bothered you or..."

 _No, no, go back, go back._

"Oh no, this is because he wasn't alone! This is because of Belle!"

Emma moaned in response, putting her hands on her face.

"Emma ..." This time her voice softened. "You told me Killian was just a friend, a very close friend, okay, but nothing more. You feel something more for him, don't you?" Elsa seemed to take her silence as an affirmation because she continued on that path. "Since when?"

 _Since when? Since ever?_ _Since she entered The Kraken for the first time to do a job interview three years ago. Since the first thing she saw when she entered the bar was the hottest man she had ever known playing the guitar and singing. Since he stopped what he was doing just when he noticed her and gave her a piercing stare followed by an innuendo. Since she gave him a glare receiving in response a flash of white teeth and lips curled into a big grin... Oh God ..._ "For a while." She just mumbled.

"For a while." Elsa echoed her words. "You're telling me you've had feelings for Killian for some time, and you're not going to do anything about it."

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

"Oh, Emma, you know that at some point you'll have to open your heart again, right? We're talking about Killian, not all men are like Neal or Walsh." Elsa approached and sat down beside her, giving her a warm look and a smile of encouragement.

"I know. That's why I don't want to risk losing what I have with Killian. I would rather keep him as a friend than lose him forever."

"But this is affecting you, Emma. Just look at your reaction from tonight. By the way, how could you be jealous of Belle? Besides, he's surrounded by girls all the time, flirting and flattering them. You witness that every day."

"It's not the same." Emma sighed. How could she explain how she felt? "At the end of the day, that's just a role. He doesn't hook up any of those girls. We just close the bar and go home. But today ... " She paused, trying to gather her thoughts. "It's not just for his friend." Although she couldn't deny that for a moment Belle had been a threat, not on a sentimental level, but on friendship. She had been his friend forever. Once again, the feeling of not being enough had made an appearance. "Before he approached us, he looked happy and carefree. He not only had Belle by his side, but he could also have been able to get any of the girls from the bar."

"Maybe he would have chosen you..."

"No." She shook her head firmly. "It's... I didn't expect to see him there, even less to see him accompanied by a woman, but everything is going to return to normal. It's the best thing for us." She tried to convince herself before Elsa's hopeful gaze. She wasn't going to risk their friendship... _Damn it!_ She was so fucked up.

* * *

 **Killian**

The night was just weird. In fact, that strange sensation had accompanied him all day. Since his brother had given them the whole weekend off, Killian had found himself with nothing to do, only spending time lying on the couch with Netflix as his only companion. The fact that Emma had decided to spend a girls' night with her friends had not helped his boredom.

But in a matter of minutes, everything had taken an unexpected turn. His childhood friend, Belle, had called for a brief visit by surprise. She would be in the city for less than a day, but had the afternoon off, so Killian quickly formulated an improvised plan.

And that's how he'd ended up in the same bloody bar Emma had come to. Seriously, what were the odds? Of course, he blamed himself for having flatly refused to take Belle to _The Kraken_. — _It's my free night, love, the last thing I want is to spend the evening in the same place as always. I know you want to see Liam, but he will be with you at the airport tomorrow_.—

"Killian? Are you sure you're okay?"

Belle's voice, who was walking beside him, took him out of his reverie. He cleared his throat before answering. "Sure, love, just tired." He felt Belle's gaze scrutinizing, but she just nodded without adding anything else.

They continued walking in silence, his hands in the pockets of his jeans and Belle's arm hanging from the hollow formed by his arm. It was a warm night, despite being in early October, so they had decided to walk back to the hotel where Belle was staying.

For a few minutes, he tried to focus on anything, the weather, Belle, the sounds of the street, but all his thoughts invariably had a name that night. _Emma Swan_. So, despite the momentary interruption, his mind bent to remind him again and again of the situation he had lived merely an hour earlier.

 _The choice of the bar had been totally random. It turned out to be the closest to the hotel where Belle was staying. But luck wasn't on his side that night, or maybe it was, because within minutes of entering the bloody bar, a vision appeared before his eyes, a vision that was becoming his downfall. Emma Swan._

 _The person he had been in love with for three years was right in front of his eyes. At least he had been lucky in something since he could notice Emma before she realized his presence. It was in this way that he was able to put into practice one of his favorite activities, that was, watching Emma while she was not looking._

 _No, he was not a stalker, but he enjoyed those little moments, such as seeing Emma with a wrinkle of concentration as she edited photographs, sitting in her favorite corner of the bar. Or watching how she got into the role of a tough lass when one of the clients tried to go too far with her. He also enjoyed seeing how she hummed his songs when she believed he was not looking. Or watching as she slept, unable to stay awake on one of their Netflix nights. Those little moments made her more real, but, paradoxically, they also made him see that was the most he could get from Emma. She was unreachable._

 _And what he saw at that moment took his breath away. She was impressive that night. Not only did she look sexier than ever, but her eyes glowed in a special way, and her carefree smile did nothing to placate his agitation. When their gazes finally met through the crowd, it was as if everything else had ceased to exist. At least for a few seconds. Until he approached her and the spell broke._

 _She was acting rather strangely. Why did she act like that? Avoiding his glance, answering with monosyllables, becoming even a little rude to Belle. Was it for him? They had talked in the morning and everything was normal. What was it then? An unusual restlessness in him when it came to Emma began to set in his stomach, causing him to behave strangely too, not knowing very well how to act._

 _After the first few minutes of awkward conversation, an idea began to settle in his head. And that was the possibility that maybe Emma felt uncomfortable at his presence because she was looking for something different that night. Maybe a one-night stand... The mere idea made him feel sick to his stomach... When was the last time she...? No, he didn't even want to remember it._

 _For his luck or misfortune, Emma excused herself after only a few minutes, alluding to the fact that she was tired and saying goodbye with just a nod. Elsa, her friend, followed her, not before giving both him and her sister an apologetic look. What the hell had just happened?_

"Killian?"

Belle's voice brought him back to reality again, noticing then that they had just reached the hotel entrance. Killian scratched behind his ear, casting an apologetic glance. "My apologies, love, I was distracted."

"Oh, I can see that." Belle crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head slightly, her eyes filled with curiosity. "Now are you going to tell me what's happening?"

Killian swallowed, averting his gaze and directing it toward his feet. His feelings for Emma were something only he knew. And he had every intention of keeping it hidden. That made things easier. "I don't know what you're talking about, love." He mumbled, keeping his gaze on his feet.

"Oh, please." Belle rolled her eyes. "You've been acting strange from the very moment we met Emma. It was a rare moment there at the bar, not just for you, but for hers as well."

"Ah, about that, I apologize on her part. Emma ..." Why was it suddenly difficult for him to even pronounce her name? "She doesn't act that way normally."

"You don't need to apologize." Belle stared at him for a few seconds before continuing. "She's not just a friend anymore, is she?"

"I don't know what are you talking about. Emma is my friend, that's all." He was not lying actually. They were just friends, though all the fibers of his being were cluttering uselessly for something else.

Belle held his gaze for a few seconds longer, as if she were trying to pierce his armor. Finally, she sighed, giving up. "Whatever you say, but you should talk to her at some point. There was a weird tension there. Whatever it is, you should fix it." She raised her index finger in warning.

"It's Liam's fault, he makes us work so hard that when we find ourselves with so much unexpected free time we don't know how to act, we're not used to it." Killian tried to lighten the mood with an ingenious comment that would divert attention.

"Oh, of course, blame your brother. He's such a slaver." She rolled her eyes again as she let out a snort. But then her gaze softened, her hand caressing his arm gently. "You know it's time to move on, right?"

A lump in his throat kept him from speaking for a few seconds. He nodded, the corners of his lips pulled up in a small smile. If she knew that he had already decided to go on for some time ... But the fear of losing Emma had him paralyzed. He was unable to consider taking a step further. At least not until Emma was ready. And as it was the situation, that didn't seem to be happening at any time soon. But he preferred to have what they shared now than to have absolutely nothing.

"Talk to her, or to your brother." She asked pulling him into a tight embrace.

"Have a safe flight, Belle, we'll talk soon."

After saying goodbye to his friend with the promise of seeing her soon, Killian was reluctant to go home. The image of Emma in that tight dress and that dazzling smile didn't stop tormenting him, and the fact that her smile turned into almost a grimace when she noticed him didn't allow him to think of anything else. The restlessness and confusion that he felt, far from appeasing him, had settled in his stomach. He had to do something to distract his mind. And that's how he ended up in _The Kraken_ , with all the intention that music and rum would cloud his senses enough to get Emma out of his system, at least for a while.

Liam noticed him as he collapsed on one of the bar stools. Fortunately, he was serving some other clients, so Killian was spare the inquisitive glances of his brother. He ordered a shot of rum and while he waited for it to be served, he pulled the phone out of his pocket. He wondered if it would be a good idea to contact Emma, his fingers sliding across the screen without ever pressing Emma's name. After a moment of hesitation, he finally decided. He couldn't leave things like this.

 ** _Did I do something tonight to bother you? - KJ_**

Emma answered instantly, to his pleasant surprise.

 _Hey! No more than usual. ;p Why do you ask? - ES_

A sigh of relief escaped his mouth, not just by her words but by the inclusion of that emoji. It was amazing how two simple characters could conceal so much meaning.

 _ **You acted strange tonight - KJ**_

 _No more than you... I was just tired - ES_

 _ **Aye, me too - KJ**_

 _By the way, I'd like to apologize to Belle. I acted like an asshole to her. - ES_

 _ **Nah, it's okay. Are you sure you're fine? - KJ**_

 _Promise. And you? - ES_

 _ **I'm fine too. Ah! You looked stunning tonight, love. - KJ**_

 _You were not that bad :) - ES_

 _ **Any plans for tomorrow? - KJ**_

 _Pizza and Netflix? - ES_

 _ **My apartment or yours? - KJ**_

 _Yours. Since Liam will be working, we'll be able to choose freely. - ES_

 _ **Smart lass. Night Swan. - KJ**_

 _Night Killian - ES_

"Your rum."

Killian looked up from the screen to find Liam, arms folded across his chest and a scrutinizing look on his face. "I seem to remember that I gave you the night off."

He grabbed the glass his brother had left on the counter and raised his hand to him as if to toast. He took a sip of the drink before answering. "I'm here as a customer, brother."

At that moment Liam reached into the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out his phone. Killian watched as his brother's brow furrowed as he stared at the screen. He also detected Liam's eyes briefly straying to look slyly at him. A strange sensation began to grip him as he stirred uncomfortably in his seat. This couldn't be good.

Liam carefully placed the phone on the counter and folded his arms over his chest again. "So... what's wrong with Emma?"

"What the hell?" _Little traitor._.. he thought, clenching his jaw as a growing anger began to appear. Killian glanced at his brother's phone in the corner of his eye, and in a swift, fluid movement that left no chance of reaction from Liam, he seized the device.

Liam opened his eyes in surprise at his brother's maneuver, but then he reacted grunting as he tried to reach for the phone. "Give me my bloody phone, Killian!"

"Ah, ah!" Killian moved away from the bar, enough so that his brother couldn't reach him and without further delay read the contents of the last message received.

 _ **Hey, Liam! We missed you this evening. I met Emma, at last. But I think something happened between her and Killian. Ask him, it seems that our "bro" has something to tell us. See you tomorrow. - Belle**_

"Bloody Hell" The words slipped out of his mouth without him doing anything to stop it. "She's such a traitorous lass." He mumbled, the urge to throw the phone against the nearest wall almost uncontrollable.

 _Bloody hell._ He repeated, this time to himself. He began to feel like a fish out of the water, in need of air. He had so long hidden his feelings in front of his brother that he found it extremely difficult to expose them now. Especially because he was fully aware that his brother would be excited at first but then he'd feel as if someone threw him a jug of cold water when he discovered that, whatever he felt about Emma Swan, nothing was going to change their relationship.

Killian returned to his seat, placing Liam's phone on the counter again. He gestured to the waiter on the other side of the bar to get another drink, the idea of confessing with more alcohol running through his system seemed more appropriate under the circumstances.

"You know it's rude to read private messages from someone else." Liam turned to him in that calm, characteristic tone of his, but hiding a condescending hue that annoyed Killian enormously.

"Not if that damn message speaks about oneself." He mumbled. Killian didn't mind at that moment behaving like a rebellious teenager in front of his father.

"Have you argued with Emma? What is it this time? Netflix, the choice of dinner?"

"How many times do I have to tell you? Stop treating us like children. I'm not your son and Emma is obviously not your daughter."

"Then act like an adult and tell me what's going on."

"It's nothing. We meet Emma in a bar. I don't know what Belle was talking about."

"Okay." Liam grabbed his phone and began to slide his fingers across the screen.

A sensation of panic settled in his stomach. "What are you doing?"

"Calling Emma, of course."

"Do not even think of it, brother." He hissed, casting a murderous glare at Liam as he regretted deep inside coming here. _What on earth was I thinking?_

Liam seemed to think better of it because, after staring at him for a few seconds, he sighed and put the phone back on the counter. He then changed his attitude, softening his features a little as he addressed him. "Listen, something is happening, you know I care a lot about Emma, I just need you to tell me if everything's okay with her, brother."

Seeing his brother's face full of sincere concern stirred something inside him so, without even stopping to think what he was doing, he confessed, kind of.

"It's nothing, really. We met her unexpectedly. For some reason, she started acting in an offhand way when she saw us and after a few minutes, she just left. But I've texted her a few minutes ago and everything was fine." After a pause, he continued almost without being aware of what he was about to say. "I thought at first that my presence might have bothered her, in case I might be interfering in some way, preventing some kind of guy from approaching her, but it seems she was just tired."

Liam's features changed subtly, as if a flash of realization crossed his face. His eyes widened slightly as one eyebrow rose slightly. "And that would have been a problem for you?"

Killian closed his eyes as he sighed. After two deep breaths, he set out to confess for the first time in three years. "Aye, It would."

Liam's eyes widened even more as a smile began to appear on his face, a smile in which his brother was depositing his relief and his hopes. Something that, unfortunately, he would have to cut.

"Before you start to get your hopes up. Yes, I have feelings for Emma. No, I do not think she feels the same, or at least I don't think she's ready yet to open her heart. So nothing is going to change between us. Emma is my friend and so it will remain until she decides otherwise."

"Does Emma know?"

"About my feelings? Of course not."

After the initial impact of the confession, Liam seemed to react. He shook his head and brushed his eyes with one hand. "How could I know nothing? I mean, I know you care about her, and that you two are very good friends, but how did you manage to hide your feelings from me? I spend most of the damn time with you two!"

Killian ignored him, suddenly exhausted after the events of the day. But before he went home, he had to make sure of something. "Promise me you won't tell Emma anything."

"Killian..."

"No, just promise me. Let me do this my way."

With a sigh, Liam agreed. "Okay, but promise me something in return, promise me you'll be careful, okay? You finally have a chance to be happy, brother, do not miss it, please."

Killian nodded, though he could not really assure Liam. Because the reality was that maybe he would end up with an even more broken heart.

His initial idea when he arrived at the bar was to wait for his brother until the closing time came and then return home together. But after what happened, he changed his mind. His only desire was to lock himself in his bedroom, bury his head under the pillow, and try to sleep with the vain idea that Emma's image wouldn't appear in his dreams to torment him. _Bloody hell_... After finishing his drink, he murmured "I'll see you at home" to his brother while he waved and left the premises.

The trip back home was the first time he was alone with his thoughts since he saw Emma a few hours earlier. Far from vanishing, Emma's vision became even more powerful, filling all his thoughts. His mind was determined to remind him the image of Emma in that damn dress that molded all her curves and that neckline that suggested what was forbidden to him. His body started to react, liquid heat heading straight to south. By the time he got home he felt his pants tight, a series of curses escaping from his mouth. He was helpless.

Killian reached his bedroom and undressed without bothering to put on his pajamas. He collapsed in bed, the need for release was almost painful so he had no choice but to take care of himself. As the strokes increased in pressure and speed, Emma's image became more real in his mind. The image of her pink lips silently begging to be kissed, her defiant glance and her perfect body. His release came at last as he pronounced her name between panting, imagining that it was Emma who had her hand around his length. _Bloody hell_... He was so fucked up.

* * *

 **Two months later**

 **Liam**

It was a quiet afternoon, the usual for a day in early December. The calm before the storm that meant the beginning of the holiday season. Liam was in his usual corner behind the bar, doing the inventory. His brother was standing on the platform they used as a stage, guitar in hand, while he rehearsed the songs he would play two nights later. Emma, in turn, sat on her favorite stool, her laptop on the counter, staring at the screen and editing the photos taken over the previous weekend. Liam had offered his office several times, claiming that she would be more comfortable there, with a desk at her disposal and a more suitable chair. But Emma had always refused, she preferred to be at the center of the activity.

The scene he had in front of his eyes was something he was accustomed to, something that was part of his routine. And he couldn't be more grateful for it. Both Killian and Emma work hard at the bar, fully involved in the business, providing ideas, serving every night, cleaning up the mess after the most chaotic nights. But thanks to _The Kraken_ they could also carry out their passions, at least in some way.

Killian lived for Saturday nights when he took the stage and became the musician he had always dreamed of.

And Emma... _Emma_. She had become their savior angel almost from the very moment she walked through that door three years ago. The corners of his lips lifted in a smile as the memory of that day came to his mind.

He had been about to give up on the bar. Although Liam had put all his effort and all his savings into the project, the income was insufficient, the clients scarce. It was then that his brother suggested that he could hire someone to help them advertise the place and get more customers. And that's how Emma came into their lives.

She had come like a whirlwind, turning their lives upside down. She was a tough woman, stubborn and determined to achieve her goals. And also very creative. It was Emma's idea to organize the _'Saturdays in Concert_.' After hearing Killian singing the same day she had been hired, she had decided that they couldn't miss his physical appearance and talent.

That was the first of a myriad of ideas that were coming. It was she who created the website of the local, who organized theme parties, who spent entire nights camera-in-hand taking photographs of the crowd that she later uploaded to the website as a claim. And not only that, she was the first to stand behind the bar ready to serve beers and to engage in conversations with the male crowd. That's how Emma Swan became _The Savior of The Kraken_.

And here she was, one more day, doing her magic with the photographs she had taken. This time, however, Liam noticed something else. She was humming the same song Killian was playing.

Since Killian had made that half-confession about his feelings for Emma, he had been much more perceptive, focusing on things he hadn't noticed before.

How could he have been so blind? Killian wore his friend's mask to perfection, but his attraction to her was undeniable. Now Liam was fully aware of his stolen looks when he thought she was not looking, the accidental contact of their bodies, the shy smile on his lips every time Emma arrived. In fact, he could swear that Emma acted exactly the same, but of course, he didn't have confirmation of her feelings. Maybe…

"Hey, guys! We got new comments on the web, come on! Let's have some fun." Emma's excited voice brought him back to the present. She was making a gesture with her hand for them to approach. This had become another of their routines. Each time they got new comments, they read them together. Emma called it _constructive criticism_. The Jones brothers, however, found the perfect excuse to make fun of themselves and have a laugh.

They, of course, hurried to approach her. Killian arrived at her side first, casually placing his hand on her shoulder. Emma raised her head to look into his eyes as she gave him a warm smile. Liam didn't miss a single detail of all these subtle movements, raising an eyebrow in appreciation. He stood on Emma's other side and the three of them stared at the screen.

"Oh my God, Liam, you got a fan! Look, _PrincessJones_. She's written you three messages."

 ** _I love The Kraken and one of the reasons is for its owner. He is so hot._**

 ** _The best of The Kraken? The owner, his brother the musician and Emma, the public relations officer. They are all very nice, but Liam, the owner, is even nicer._**

 _ **Although Killian, the musician, is hot, I find his brother, Liam, much more interesting, perhaps because of his maturity**_ _._

Liam couldn't stop a smirk from appearing on his face. His chest swelled with pride as he commented, "Well, it was about bloody time. You two always get all the good reviews."

"I guess you've noticed that your admirer just addressed you as an old man, right?" His brother joked making that characteristic gesture of his, his two eyebrows raised comically and a mocking smile.

"Killian!" Emma rebuked him, tapping his chest with the back of her hand on.

"Ouch, that hurt." Killian winced as he moved his hands to where Emma had hit him.

"Oh god, you're so melodramatic." Emma, of course, rolled her eyes, though her voice came between giggles, her smile making small wrinkles appear in the corners of her eyes.

The two of them continued their argument between jokes and casual contacts of their hands, completely ignoring his presence, although that obviously didn't matter to him in the least. After a few more seconds watching the scene, Liam cleared his throat.

"Hi? I'm still here, remember?"

Killian and Emma turned their heads, two pairs of eyes staring at him for a few seconds, then they stared back at each other and burst out laughing. He shook his head as he rolled his eyes at the childlike behavior of the other two, but the corners of his lips pulled up into a wide grin.

"I'm glad to see someone appreciating my mature behavior. Someone has to behave like an adult here."

"Really?" Emma looked back at the screen and began to check the contents of one of the photo folders. Within seconds, a few photos from last Saturday appeared before his eyes. The bloody photos had captured the moment when he and his brother exhibited a behavior that was far from that of responsible adults. "You mean this mature behavior?"

"Bloody hell." Liam grumbled, covering his eyes with one hand. He felt his cheeks begin to burn, completely ashamed by what had happened. "When the hell did you take those photos? I had completely forgotten that moment." Small hints of the scene came to his mind. The night had been a success and after the closing, they decided to celebrate taking a few shots. The result? The two brothers ended up on the counter singing old Irish songs. "Do not even think about uploading those photos to the web."

"I thought about it, but considering that my job is to attract new clients and not scare them, I decided to upload this photo instead, and it seems that I got it right since it has gotten a lot of comments. You two are a success among the ladies." Emma opened a picture of the two of them, the Jones brothers. They stared at the camera, his right arm around his brother's shoulders, wide smiles, and bright eyes.

"Great shot, Swan." Killian couldn't help a bit of pride in his voice.

After a few more jokes and compliments, the two brothers ended up leaving Emma's side, each heading to their proper spot. They continued to do their tasks for a few more minutes. The silence was only broken by the strumming of the guitar and Killian's melodious voice.

As he listened to the lyrics of the song, an idea began to bubble in his head. His eyes darted back to where Emma was. Once the photo editing task was resumed, she appeared completely focused on it, but in turn, she also started humming again, accompanying in half a silence to Killian's voice.

"Hey, guys, I've been thinking." The words rushed out, without him having time to evaluate the idea correctly. His brother was going to kill him, but he couldn't help it, it was such a good opportunity that he couldn't waste it.

Liam had managed to gain the attention of both Emma and Killian, they both turned their gaze upon him with gestures of curiosity. _First goal achieved._

 _There it goes_... "I thought we could try something new." When he was sure he was still holding their attention, he threw the bomb. "You two could do a duet next Saturday."

"A duet?" Emma's eyes narrowed as her head tilted slightly. "You mean to sing, together?"

"That's exactly what I mean."

"Sing on stage ... next Saturday ..." She gestured to the stage where Killian was standing. His brother remained silent, an indecipherable expression on his face.

"Yes, think of..." He couldn't continue since Emma cut him off at that moment. It seemed that she had finally assimilated the information.

"Are you out of your mind?" Her voice rose in disbelief. She shook her head her lips puckered. "I haven't been on stage in my entire life, and even less to sing. I would die of embarrassment." She said in a mortified tone.

Since Killian remained silent, as a mere witness to the scene, Liam decided to focus on Emma. He approached her, trying to shed as much enthusiasm as possible in his words. Luckily, he knew how to make Emma react.

"Ignore that for a moment, let's focus on business. Killian would do his performance, but we could announce that there would be a surprise in the end, and that's when you'd make an appearance." Liam held his breath, but kept the necessary emotion in his tone of voice to make the idea even more appealing."Do you think something like that could work?"

He didn't fail to notice that Emma's eyes slid subtly to where Killian was. She seemed to appreciate the idea for a few seconds, then shrugged. "Yes, it could be a good advertising slogan. A surprise performance always generates expectation, but we can't forget that I don't know how to sing."

"That's not quite true, love. You know how to sing, and you do it well. You also know all the songs in Killian's were humming the song right now as he rehearsed."

"It's not the same… I'd be stuck in the middle of the stage, my voice would be trapped in my throat, or worse, I would be off pitch... Oh God, this is not a good idea... This is going to be a disaster..." She rubbed her hands together nervously. As she exposed everything that could go wrong, her features were showing more and more concern, her brow wrinkled, her look in a tinge of panic. This was not going well, maybe Liam had gone too far. He almost felt sorry for the discomfort that he was causing Emma. All this was just a stupid idea…

"Don't underestimate yourself, love." Both Emma and Liam turned to hear Killian's voice. Liam was pleasantly surprised, since he feared that Killian's silence didn't bode well. His brother was staring at them, the guitar at his side, his arms folded across his chest. "You have a beautiful voice and we have time to rehearse, everything will be fine." He continued in a calm voice, though his face was more serious than usual.

Liam noticed Emma's cheeks flushed slightly and her features relaxed a little. "How are you so sure everything will be all right?"

"Because I've yet to see you fail."

Emma's jaw dropped a little, and her cheeks tinged with an even more intense red. Killian focused his gaze on her, completely ignoring his brother. Liam felt kind of like an intruder on the scene, but he couldn't be happier about what was happening. "Still, don't feel obligated to do it, Swan. Only if you feel comfortable enough for it. It's your decision, love."

Liam glanced sideways at his brother. He suspected that Killian would be angry with him for the possible hidden meaning of this idea. He'd have time to talk to him later when they got home. Killian kept his features impassive, but he could detect a special gleam in his gaze, perhaps hope that Emma would join him on stage and be able to spend time with her with the excuse of the song. At the end of the day Killian would end up thanking him, he thought, laughing to himself.

"Why don't you give it a try?" Liam offered tentatively, as it seemed that Emma still remained reluctant. "No pressure, you can join Killian now and see how it works." He reached for Emma's hand to pull her toward the stage.

"What? Now?" Emma's eyes widened with a mixture of fear and embarrassment, but also with a hint of determination.

"We are alone, let's go!" Liam gestured toward the stage with his head as he tugged Emma a little more.

After a deep sigh, Emma murmured, "the things I do for _The Kraken_..." She shook her head before speaking again. "Okay, let's do it. Think about how to repay me, okay?" Emma held her index finger up and raised her eyebrows in warning.

 _Second goal achieved_ : Emma was in.

"Of course, you just have to ask." Liam's smile widened as he raised both hands in a calming gesture. "Now go up there, let's see how good of a team you two make."

Emma rolled her eyes as she walked past him toward the stage. Killian offered his hand to help her up and Emma took it while offering him a small smile. Once the two of them were on stage, they both looked at him expectantly.

"Since this was your _brilliant_ idea, let us know, according to you, which song we should sing, because surely you already have an idea, don't you?" His brother's face remained impassive. Liam didn't overlook the deliberate emphasis on the _brilliant_ word, full of barely concealed sarcasm.

Of course, Liam had thought of a song. In fact, it was Emma herself who gave him the idea as she hummed to the beat of Killian's voice. His brother was going to kill him...

"Since it's just a rehearsal, why don't you keep going with the song you were singing?" He tried to infuse his words with the most innocent tone possible. "Emma was humming it, in fact, it was she who inspired me with this idea."

"Are you kidding me? Do you want us to sing _Because The Night?_ " Killian shot him a murderous look as he hissed his words, the mask of impassiveness finally gone. Emma looked mortified, her cheeks flushed, her gaze fixed on her feet.

"You know the version of _Patti Smith_ , right? She sang once at a concert with _U2_ and _Bruce_ , the original creator... "

"I know, I know." His brother cut him off. "I'm the musician here, remember?" He grunted as he held up the guitar.

"Calm down, brother, I was just trying to help."

To his surprise, Emma took his side."Liam has a point here, we can split the song the same way they did at the concert."

Killian cocked his head and narrowed his eyes, looking at her. "Seriously?"

Emma shrugged. "Since you have convinced me, now I want to go all out for it." She continued in a slightly sharper tone. "And to make it clear, I have no intention of taking your lead away. It's just a one-time thing."

Liam held his breath. _I don't like the way this is going_ , he thought. The damn idea was supposed to aim to make them connect even more. And it seemed like what was happening was just the opposite. He was about to reply, but his brother came forward.

Killian sighed. Even from the distance, Liam could watch as his brother clenched his jaw before answering, looking for Emma's gaze. "Hey, you can sing with me whenever you want, love. It's my brother that I'm upset with."

Emma looked at Killian and her brother at intervals. "But why? It's not a bad idea, and for once it's not me that comes up with a crazy plan. Besides, you were singing the damn song yourself a few moments ago."

"That's because Killian plays _Patti's_ version, and with a duet, he would have to do the part of _Bruce_ , and he's not a big fan of _The Boss_." Liam came to help his brother before this got out of hand.

Emma raised an eyebrow and looked at them both in disbelief. "Really?"

Liam nodded exaggeratedly, his lips pressed together in a gesture of reassurance. He glanced sideways at his brother, hoping he would follow him.

Killian seemed to catch the hint because he lifted a shoulder and gave her a puppy eyes look. "Guilty?"

Liam couldn't help but roll his eyes. It was so obvious that his brother had fallen hard for Emma. How could she not realize it?

"Really?" She repeated. "You know Bruce is the original writer, right?" Now it was her turn to roll her eyes as she dropped her arms in surrender. "Okay, I'll do _The Boss_ ' part if that's the damn problem. Can we start singing before I regret it?"

After a few seconds of silence, the two brothers looked at each other and burst out laughing. Emma widened her eyes and opened her mouth, clearly confused by what was happening, her gaze traveling from one to the other. "You two are idiots. This is bizarre." Finally, she shook her head and joined them in laughter.

When the laughter subsided, Liam returned for a moment to his place behind the bar while Killian and Emma watched the concert video on Emma's phone. From time to time they made some comments, deciding the best way to distribute the song. Liam noticed how, once relieved the tension, his brother's behavior was the same as always. He casually placed his right arm on Emma's shoulders. Emma seemed to take it naturally because she showed no signs of discomfort, rather the opposite.

Liam couldn't help shaking his head. If only they realized the image they offered together... He had the feeling that they were wasting a precious time maintaining their relationship in the security of friendship.

He also understood his brother, though. He didn't know all the details, but Liam knew that Emma had been heartbroken in the past, so she had put a wall around her to protect her heart. Even they had a hard time breaking that barrier at first. But now that Emma had let them in, it was normal that Killian didn't want to risk losing her. Liam took two deep breaths, wondering why everything had to be so difficult.

The first strumming of the guitar caught him off guard, lost in thought. He looked up, Killian and Emma were about to start and he didn't want to miss it for the world. Before he positioned himself in front of the stage, Liam took the camera that Emma had left on the bar. This had to be immortalized in some way.

The first attempt was unsuccessful. Emma began with a hesitant voice, a little out of tune with the first notes. Far from being discouraged, however, Emma started again. Liam clapped in encouragement as Killian nodded at her and gave her supportive looks. The second time everything was much better. Her voice settled, and as she was gaining confidence, the song began to flow.

It was on the third attempt when the magic appeared. "Very good guys!" Liam shouted at them. This, just what was in front of his eyes was what he was waiting for when the idea popped into his head. Their voices blended perfectly, the chemistry between them was evident.

Once the initial shyness was set aside, they were giving it all up on stage. Liam took a few photos, focusing on the small gestures that betrayed his brother. Killian couldn't look away from her. He seemed clearly impressed by Emma's talent. She instead gave him looks and smiles that seemed to hide much more behind an apparent shyness. Liam certainly didn't want to get excited and imagine things, but a small voice in his mind kept repeating to him that perhaps Emma was hiding feelings towards his brother beyond a deep friendship.

As the song sounded, Liam noticed the meaning of the lyrics. He understood the initial reluctance of his brother, since, certainly, its meaning didn't help to mask feelings.

 _Come on now try and understand_

 _The way I feel under your command_

 _Take my hand as the sun descends_

 _They can't touch you now,_

 _Can't touch you now, can't touch you now_

 _Because the night belongs to lovers._

Both blushed and looked away in the most suggestive parts, the eyes of one looking for the other few seconds later. Liam was attending a performance of teenage behavior with a first crush. With the difference that the two teens were actually thirty years old. He smiled to himself as he continued to take pictures.

The rehearsals ended after having practiced the song a couple more times, gaining in security and harmony. Both of them stepped off the stage together with huge smiles and bright eyes. Killian curled his arm around her shoulders as Emma slipped her arm around his waist.

"Well, it wasn't that bad, was it?" Liam flattered them, unable to suppress a grin of satisfaction. "Now you just have to repeat the same thing next Saturday and it will be an assured success."

"It seems we make quite the team, love." Killian addressed Emma with undisguised pride, getting a small smile on her part. "Whoa, I'm thirsty, do you want something to drink, Swan?"

"A beer is fine with me, thank you." Emma sat in her usual stool, while the two brothers went behind the bar to pour the drinks.

When Liam made sure that they were far enough from Emma and she couldn't hear them, he grabbed a towel from the counter and threw it at his brother.

Killian caught it and looked at him strangely. "What are you doing?"

"It's for you to clean yourself, you're still drooling." He pressed his lips together, stifling a smirk.

Killian's smile disappeared immediately from his face. "Shut up!" his eyes darted to where Emma was. "You and I have to talk later. When we get back home." He hissed pointing his index finger threateningly.

Liam raised his arms in peace, but his brother scowled away, grabbed two beers, and walked over to Emma, offering her one of the bottles. His features softened the instant he was in front of her.

Liam rolled his eyes as he shook his head. He could bear the scolding of his brother since he was sure that everything would be worth it in the end.

 _Third Goal Achieved_ : They were to sing together and Liam hoped Saturday night would be a success in every respect.

* * *

 **Elsa**

Elsa still couldn't believe this was about to happen. When Emma told her she was going to sing with Killian on Saturday night, Elsa thought at first that her friend was joking. When she also learned the song they'd sing she had been about to laugh, because _seriously? What was Emma thinking?_

 _"Who will sing 'the way I feel under your command'?_ " She had asked her as she hummed the song, getting a murderous look from her friend and a firm refusal to talk about it. It wasn't her fault that the first thing had come to mind was the meaning of the lyrics, especially considering the feelings Emma tried to hide. " _It's just for business_." It's all she got from her.

Two months had passed since her confession, and Elsa, sadly, saw no advance from Emma. At least the knowledge of her feelings towards Killian had allowed her to observe more closely, proving that the connection between them was brutal. How could all this have gone unnoticed before? To their credit, they disguised all those affectionate gestures behind the mask of friendship. But now that she knew that, at least on Emma's part, there was much more, everything seemed so much more obvious.

So here she was, sitting on a stool at the bar of _The Kraken_ , not willing to miss the great performance under any circumstances. She glanced around. The bar had its usual appearance, its decoration represented the marine world, simulating the deck of a ship, various objects related to the sea hanging from its wooden walls. Even though the room was of considerable size, she always found it cozy, and that was to Liam's merit, who, as Emma had told her, had taken care of every detail of the decor. At this time of year, moreover, they had included some Christmas motifs, which made the bar even more welcoming.

Her eyes followed their scrutiny across the place to meet Emma. She, as usual, was busy camera in hand, taking pictures of the crowd. Her friend had chosen a very appropriate outfit for the night. She wore dark blue skinny jeans, and knee high boots. Her tank top, with an image of one of Bruce's album covers printed on it, was wound up to her waist. The pants rode just low enough to glimpse the band of her underwear.

Killian instead, was behind the bar, serving drinks. His performance would begin shortly, but, in his own words, keeping his mind occupied in other activities helped him relax before taking the stage. His attire was also the usual, flannel shirt in different shades of blue over a white t-shirt with v-shaped collar and dark blue jeans.

She had a privileged view from her corner of the bar, being able to observe both Emma and Killian as they performed their usual duties. That was how Elsa realized that, while he served drink after drink, his eyes followed every one of Emma's movements through the room. Elsa tilted her head slightly as she narrowed her eyes, trying to watch Killian's expression more closely. Maybe…

"Have you already ordered anything to drink, lass?"

Elsa winced in her seat at the sound of Liam's voice. She had been so intent on watching Killian that she hadn't even noticed his approach. She quickly composed herself and gave him a smile as she asked. "Tequila for me, thank you."

Liam made a gesture of appreciation and set out to pour the drink. "To what do we owe the honor of your presence tonight? I guess you have come to witness the great performance." He waved his hands in the air as if he were showing a neon sign.

"Of course, I wouldn't miss it for the world." Elsa cocked her head slightly, giving him a suspicious look. "By the way, what did you do to convince her?"

"Do you doubt my powers of persuasion, lass?" Liam replied as he winked. Elsa shook her head as she smiled. Although it was Killian that was the master in flirtation, his brother followed closely. She had a much closer relationship with Killian, due to her friendship with Emma, but she had always been more comfortable with the older brother.

"Speaking of which, I think it's time for the great presentation. I'll be right back." He gave her a warm smile before leaving to search for Killian and Emma.

Elsa grabbed her glass and turned on her stool for a better look. Liam waved Emma to catch her attention. Then the three of them headed to one side of the stage, Killian already prepared with his guitar. Liam gave him a cheerful pat on his back before taking the stage to present the performance.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen, a new performance of _Saturdays in Concert_ is about to start, and tonight we'll have a great surprise at the end, but in the meantime, I ask you all to give a big ovation to my talented brother, a great musician and an even better person. I present to all of you, Killian Jones!"

The crowd broke into applause and cheers to welcome Killian on stage. Elsa didn't overlook that, before he got on, Killian melted into a tight embrace with Emma. Once on stage, Liam placed the microphone in the holder and raised his thumbs before leaving. Emma, meanwhile, stood right in front, the most appropriate place to take the best photos.

And so began the show, the melodious voice of Killian and the strumming of his guitar wrapping the whole room. Since he played regularly hits of the 80's and 90's, the crowd already knew most of the songs so they chanted it to the beat of the music.

Elsa also joined the rest and, although she didn't leave her place next to the bar, she did send out shouts of encouragement and hummed some of the songs. Killian was good, very good, she never got tired of listening to him.

Evidently, Emma thought the same, since she didn't stop taking photos from below the stage. Elsa also noticed that Killian was constantly looking for her, smiling every time she directed her camera toward him. It was as if he were singing just for her. Could it be possible...

"Enjoying the show, love?"

For the second time on the same night, Elsa gave a start at the unexpected voice of Liam. She turned to answer him. "Of course, I'm one of his fans." She said, raising her voice to make herself heard through the music.

"Another drink? It's on the house today since you're a special guest."

 _Yeah, why not?_ Elsa accepted the offer with a nod and a brief smile. As Liam poured her drink, she turned her gaze back to the stage area. The idea that had begun to emerge before her thoughts were interrupted by Liam, began to bubble again in her head as she checked once more Killian's attitude toward Emma.

The words came out of her mouth just as Liam set the glass in front of her. "I didn't realize it until now. Does Killian always act like that? As if there was no one else in the room except Emma?"

Liam's smile evaporated slightly, giving way to a reserved expression, but he also had a special gleam in his eyes. What was happening here? When it seemed that he was going to ignore her question, Liam surprised her with an unexpected counterattack. "Just as whenever Killian performs, there's like a million photos of him."

Elsa narrowed her eyes, looking suspiciously at Liam. "Are you trying to tell me something?"

"Of course not, lass, I'm just stating something obvious, just like you."

Her mouth opened, but she thought better of it before she spoke, rummaging instead in his words. Was it possible he wanted to say what she suspected? He had practically confirmed her first impression. Before she could think of anything appropriate to say, Liam continued.

"Is there something I should know about my brother?" Liam leaned toward her, invading her personal space a little, his arms on the counter, as he stared at her. Although his tone was not very high, she could hear his words perfectly, such was his closeness.

"Is there something I should know about my best friend?" She countered, holding his gaze in a challenging way.

Liam cocked his head slightly, keeping the scrutiny on her, the tip of his tongue poking out the corner of his mouth. After a few more seconds, he nodded almost subtly and asked again, changing the contents. "Does Emma have feelings for Killian?"

"Sure, they're close friends." Elsa answered tentatively, not sure where this conversation was going.

"You know what I mean."

At that moment, Elsa saw the light, all the pieces fit in her head. She widened her eyes as she looked around. "Wait a minute, that's why you've arranged all this?" Her hand waved to the stage. "To make them sing together?"

"I had to get them out of their comfort zone somehow."

Elsa gasped with excitement. "So it's true, your brother has feelings for Emma!"

"I guess from your expression that Emma feels the same towards my brother." Once the masks were removed, Liam was smiling broadly, the gleam in his eyes now having a clear meaning. Hope.

Elsa lifted her glass as a toast and took a sip of her drink. After the brief moment of euphoria, she felt as the initial emotion was dragged by the liquid as it passed through her throat, reality began to prevail again. And it was that, regardless of Killian's feelings, Emma was determined not to risk her friendship with him. Her fear of losing him was almost paralyzing.

"You know it's not going to be enough for them to sing together tonight, right?"

Liam sighed, it seemed that his initial euphoria was also evaporating a bit. "I am aware of it. They are both so stubborn and their heart is so hurt that I don't think they are able to advance in that strange relationship they have."

He paused for a moment as he poured himself a shot of rum. He raised the glass, inviting Elsa to toast him. After taking the drink, he continued. "But it seems to place them in different scenarios they are accustomed to, affects them in a certain way."

Elsa remembered the night two months ago, when Emma confessed her feelings. "Oh, I'm aware of that, remember when you gave them the weekend off? That was when Emma confessed."

Liam's eyes widened in surprise. "That was when Killian confessed as well."

"Really?"

"Something happened that night!" They both shouted in unison.

"Really?" Elsa repeated, the corners of her lips drawing up a broad smile. The night was taking an unexpected turn and she couldn't be more grateful for it.

Liam arched an eyebrow in appreciation. "It seems that you and I are in sync, lass. We should take advantage of that and do something productive about it."

Elsa's cheeks flushed slightly at his words but she ignored any possible hidden meaning and focused instead on Killian and Emma.

"Yeah, I agree with you. We should work as a team. That night they met when they didn't expect it and that created tension between them."

"We could generate more situations of this kind, put them in scenarios that they don't expect, push them out of their comfort zone without forcing too much." Liam continued her thread of thought. His voice sounded excited, clearly he was as interested as she was in uniting those two idiots.

Her mind began to run, drawing those possible scenarios. An idea began to emerge but just as she was about to suggest it to Liam, Emma suddenly appeared.

"Hey, guys, say cheese." Without further warning, Emma took a few photographs. Then she looked at the camera screen and smiled clearly satisfied by what she saw.

"Oh, God, I hate it when you do that. I always look awful in those improvised pictures." Elsa grumbled, her lips forming a pout.

"No, you don't. You two make a nice couple on the screen. Anyway you have the opportunity to do the same now." Emma slid the camera strap over her head and handed the device to Elsa. "You're in charge of taking the pictures of the performance."

"Is it your turn now? Go up there and show everyone your talent." Elsa took the camera and hugged her friend. As she did, she whispered in her ear, "don't get nervous, everything will be fine. Let yourself go and enjoy this moment with him."

Emma gave her a shy smile as she walked away and turned her gaze to Liam. "You'll reward me for this, you know, right?"

"Of course, lass. Good luck."

Emma took a deep breath, gave them one last look and then headed toward the stage.

Elsa, for her part, hung the camera strap around her neck and before walking to the stage, gave Liam a warm smile, receiving the same in response.

Killian was singing the last chorus of his song as Elsa walked through the crowd. Despite the fact that she had tried to infuse Emma with encouragement, as the moment approached, she was getting more and more nervous. Elsa didn't doubt that all would be well, but after all, this was a new situation for her friend.

When the music ended, everyone around her broke into applause. It seemed like people were enjoying themselves a lot with the performance.

"Thank you very much to everyone!" Killian began to speak. "As my brother announced, tonight we have a surprise as a closing. She is the soul of _The Kraken_ , the person who makes this bar shine, who brings a bit of sanity between the two Jones brothers. I ask you all for a great applause to welcome the talented, beautiful and lovely Emma Swan!"

The crowd began to cheer, accompanying her friend on her way to the stage. She was welcomed here by Killian, who gave her a brief hug before offering her one of the microphones and putting himself in his place. The performance was about to begin.

Her heart began to pound in her chest in anticipation of what was about to happen. Elsa grabbed the camera and start taking pictures of everything that happened on the stage, not willing to miss a single detail between them.

As the first notes sounded, the enraptured audience applauded even more, to Elsa's delight. _Here it comes_...

Emma stood in the center of the stage, with Killian on her right. When the time came, she began to sing, her voice clear and tuned, without a hint of nervousness.

 _Take me now baby here as i am_

 _pull me close, try and understand_

 _desire is hunger is the fire i breathe_

 _love is a banquet on which we feed._

If until then the song sounded great, when their two voices joined, the magic ended up appearing. They were creating something special, sharing not only lyrics but also their gazes and their smiles. The chemistry between them was evident and increased as the song progressed.

Elsa was impressed by Emma's ability to act. She was totally in her role. Killian for his part, despite being totally focused on her, didn't lose his ability to sing and play his guitar with great talent.

The performance was passing before her eyes through the viewfinder of the screen. She couldn't stop shooting, trying to immortalize those magic moments forever.

At one point of the song, Emma moved even closer to Killian and placed her free hand on his arm, squeezing it gently. They both stared at each other as they sang the last notes. Elsa could almost feel the electricity emanating from them.

 _With love we sleep_

 _with doubt the vicious circle_

 _turn and burns_

 _without you i cannot live_

 _forgive, the yearning burning_

 _i believe it's time, too real to feel_

 _so touch me now, touch me now, touch me now._

After the last strumming of the guitar, the song ended, but they remained in the same position for a few seconds as the audience applauded and shouted around her. They were so close that their foreheads were almost in contact. After a brief moment lost in each other's eyes, they smiled and melted into a tight embrace, to the enjoyment of the public, who began to applaud even with more enthusiasm.

Finally they moved away a little, directing their attention to the audience. They bowed, while holding their hands and then raised their arms in gratitude. Their smiles didn't disappear from their faces. She herself was infected by the enthusiasm around her and raised her fist as she screamed. "Bravo!"

"Whoa, this has exceeded my expectations. It's been amazing." For the third time in the night, Liam's voice made her jump in surprise. Somehow he had managed to position himself right behind her and was speaking very close to make himself heard through the crowd.

Elsa felt an involuntary shiver as she noticed his presence perhaps too close. But she didn't have time to appreciate what was happening, because at that moment the two singers came down from the stage and approached where they were.

"You were bloody brilliant, love. You're a natural on stage." Killian's voice and smile did nothing to hide the pride he felt. Elsa and Liam glanced at each other, the expression on his face a mirror of her own, lips pressed together suppressing a grin.

Elsa also didn't overlook that, despite having finished their performance, their hands were still intertwined. And that Emma blushed slightly at his words, giving him a shy smile while she returned the compliment. "I had a great partner up there."

When Liam cleared his throat, the spell faded a little, both realized they were being watched, so their hands parted, although they still kept a special glitter in their eyes. It was then Elsa and Liam's turn to share hugs, compliments, and congratulations with them.

"My throat is dry, I'm bloody thirsty." Killian offered his hand back to Emma. "Come on, love, let's have some well-deserved drinks." Emma took his hand, of course, and they both walked to the counter, leaving Liam and Elsa alone again.

Liam took the moment to guide her to a corner of the bar away from where his brother and Emma stood. "This was amazing." It was the first thing Liam said, repeating his earlier words.

Elsa glanced behind the bar, where the other two were sharing a few beers. Yes, it had been amazing. And it was a shame they didn't realize the huge potential as a couple they had at all levels. Well, actually Elsa suspected they were aware, but they were too terrified to go one step further in their relationship. Maybe they needed a little push.

"We need a plan." Elsa turned to look at Liam. "I know Emma, and although today's been impressive, I know she's not going to do anything about it, so maybe we should work for them in that regard."

"Aye, as I said before, we should create similar scenarios to the one experienced today. Obviously, the idea has been a success." Liam said with barely concealed pride. "So, what do you think could be the next step?"

Elsa valued the idea that had begun to form for a few seconds. "A date."

"A date." Liam echoed her words with some reticence.

"I mean, they wouldn't know it would be a date, of course. We could go to dinner together, but you and I would look for an excuse to disappear at some point." As the idea began to take shape, Elsa felt more enthusiastic.

"We had dinner together all the time. Besides, don't you think they would be suspicious?"

"Not if we do it well. It wouldn't be a normal dinner, we could choose a romantic place using any credible excuse." Elsa put in her voice all the enthusiasm she felt for the idea. It could work. Although Emma would kill her if she found out. But it was worth taking the risk.

Liam crossed his arms over his chest, valuing her idea. After a few seconds, he nodded. "Okay, we have a plan." He offered her hand and she shook it without hesitation as she gave him a warm smile. "But if these two find out, I'll blame you."

"Uhm, maybe we should use a code name for our mission. What do you think of _Operation HE_?"

"HE?" Liam repeated in confusion.

" _Operation Happy Ending_."

"It's a bit cheesy for my liking, but it might work." The corners of his lips lifted, drawing a grin.

"Great, I'll arrange everything." So it was a reality, Operation Happy Ending was under way. Elsa gave him a conspiratorial look, her smile matching his. She glanced once more at Emma and Killian who still remained in their own bubble. These two didn't know what was waiting for them. She couldn't wait to begin to carry it out.


	2. The (no)Date

_First of all, I wanted to thank you all for your support with this new story. Thanks also to my betas, chrissascorner, and saraswans, you two are the best._

 _Elsa and Liam have started developing their plan to get Emma and Killian together. But this can't be that easy, right? This time we have both Emma and Elsa Pov. Anna will also have an important role in this chapter._

* * *

 **Emma**

 _It's getting late_. Emma thought nervously as she applied the last touches of makeup. She had spent so much time deciding the outfit she'd wear to the dinner that she run out of time.

Emma blamed Elsa, of course. She had arrived the day before with a last-minute plan. The mother of one of the girls she trained had offered her the chance to get a table reservation in one of the most successful restaurants in the city since she had an unforeseen event and couldn't attend. And since the table was for four people, _you could take advantage and invite your two boys to eat something different to pizza or grilled cheese_ —Elsa's words.

Elsa was right, of course. Food delivery, take-out or grilled cheese with onion rings at her favorite diner restaurant were her usual food source. And that could also be applied to the Jones brothers, to whom she had infected with her eating habits. Well, that was not quite true, Killian Jones cooked, sometimes. Once every... month?

In short, she wasn't the type to go to such sophisticated restaurants. That's why it took her an eternity to choose the right outfit. Her jeans and red jacket were totally discarded, of course. Although she contemplated that possibility for a moment, just to see Elsa's reaction. She would scream blue murder if she saw her appear that way…

She had tried all the dresses in her closet, with unsatisfactory results. Too sloppy, too casual, too short, too long... Such was her degree of frustration that she was reconsidering the possibility of her jeans and leather jacket... It was then that she took one last look inside her wardrobe and saw it. The dress was hidden, hanging between two of her leather jackets, which is why she hadn't noticed in her first check. But once she found it, the choice was made.

She must admit that she looked pretty damn good in that dress. It was an ivory-colored dress, a little longer than mid-thigh in length. The neckline plunged low between the swell of her breasts, and it gathered just below them creating folds in the front of the dress. The loose fitting sleeves fell at the was also another aspect that had led her to choose that outfit. It was the same one she wore two months ago when her unexpected encounter with Killian took place.

Despite the awkwardness of the moment, she hadn't missed Killian's initial reaction when he approached her that night. His pupils dilated, his eyes skimmed her body discreetly up and down. She had also noticed how he tried unsuccessfully to focus his gaze on her face instead of on her breasts. This was, of course, until everything was ruined by the strange behavior of the two of them.

The physical attraction between her and Killian was undeniable. This had been so from the beginning but she wasn't going to ruin their relationship just by relieving the sexual tension between them. He meant infinitely more to her than any one-night stand.

Although that didn't mean she couldn't perform a certain seduction game. The idea of causing a similar effect on Killian was too attractive to dismiss it, so it was decided. She was going to wear that damn dress.

Once the choice of dress was made she should hurry. She applied the eyelash mask subtle enough to make it appear natural but allowing her to highlight her eyes. Finally, she combed her hair so that it fell in soft curls over her shoulders. After a final glance at her reflection, she gave her approval to the mirror image.

Although they were out of time, Elsa wasn't in sight when Emma reached the living room. Just then, her friend came out of her bedroom wearing her pajamas and looking downright awful.

"What's wrong, Elsa?"

Elsa almost crawled to the couch and collapsed there. "I feel like shit. My nose is like a spring and my throat hurts a lot." She whispered hoarsely.

This was unexpected. "Oh, then about dinner tonight..."

Her friend sat up a little. "Dinner plan continues, you guys can still go. This is just a cold, I'll be better tomorrow."

Despite her words, Emma was reluctant to leave Elsa alone in her condition. She really looked pretty sick and after all, this had been her idea. "We can put it off for another time when you're feeling better."

"No way! This is the perfect excuse to spend more time with Killian, don't miss this opportunity because of me." In spite of her discomfort, Elsa sounded so convincing that Emma had no choice but to accept.

Because the reality was that she really wanted to get out of her routine and do new things with both Killian and Liam. A change of scenery would always be welcomed. Still, she felt worried for her friend.

"Okay, but if you find yourself worse, promise me you'll call me or Anna, okay?"

Elsa gave her a small smile with watery eyes from the cold, and before she lay back on the couch, she gestured toward the door. "Now go and have fun. Ah! You look beautiful in that dress. Killian won't know what hit him." She winked at her as her smile grew wider. Emma had no choice but to smirk in response because her friend was right. She couldn't wait to see Killian's reaction.

* * *

When Emma reached the entrance of the restaurant, the two Jones brothers were already there waiting for her. She was greeted with smiles and each of them also kissed her cheek. The almost imperceptible gesture of appreciation on Killian's part did not go unnoticed for her.

A few minutes later, they were at a table, located in one of the coziest corners of the restaurant. Emma allowed herself a moment to appreciate the room, which was decorated soberly, with an intimate and elegant touch at the same time. Their table was decorated with a blue gerbera daisy inside a sophisticated and transparent glass vase. Three small candles placed in glasses with the same design as that of the vase completed the decoration.

The two brothers sat in front of her. Emma still had a smile of triumph that had appeared on her face when, a few minutes earlier, she had taken off her coat, revealing her dress. Killian had dropped his jaw slightly as his eyes darkened.

She, for her part, couldn't take her eyes off him either. The bastard had chosen for the occasion a new shirt she hadn't seen before. Its top buttons, as always unbuttoned, and the blue color of the fabric matched his eyes, enhancing their brightness. Liam, on the other hand, looked somewhat more classic, wearing an American jacket over a white shirt.

Once they had passed the first impression, they began one of their usual talks. However, a few minutes later, even before they had ordered their dishes, Liam's phone began to ring.

Liam's casual expression changed the moment he answered the phone. His brow furrowed, showing concern at first, but as the conversation went on, his brow deepened and his voice was filled with annoyance. _I can't believe it. I can't take a break, not even one day. No! Don't do anything else!_ They were some of the expressions he let loose. It seemed obvious that something was going on with _The Kraken._

As the conversation unfolded, Emma and Killian exchanged glances of concern as, although Liam was the owner, they also felt responsible for everything that happened in the business. And although the Wednesday used to be a very quiet day, perhaps it had not been a good idea that none of them were present at any time of the day.

"Okay, I'll be there in a minute." With that, Liam hung up the phone and got up from his seat. "I'm sorry, guys, there's been a mishap in _The Kraken_ , I have to leave."

"What happened?" Killian was the first to speak, his tone of concern evident.

"Do you want us to accompany you?" She volunteered. Since half of the members had retired, it didn't make much sense this dinner, right?

Before he spoke, Liam swallowed, scratching behind his ear, a gesture so characteristic also of his brother and that both showed when they were nervous. Emma tilted her head lightly as she narrowed her eyes. Something was happening here.

"No, it's not necessary." Liam cleared his throat before continuing. "Something has happened to the electric current and Myke doesn't know how to fix it. I hope I can come back soon."

"But..."

"I'll keep you informed, enjoy the dinner." Without any more words, Liam waved at them and hurried out of the room.

Emma's eyebrows went together as she stared blankly at Killian, his expression mirroring hers.

"What the hell just happened?"

Killian shook his head in response as if trying to assimilate what had happened. Meanwhile, a thought had begun to settle in her head. Liam's departure had been too hasty, as had Elsa's illness. Wouldn't they be up to something? Her frown deepened as the idea drifted through her mind. No, it couldn't be, Elsa looked really sick.

"Well, it seems like it's just you and me, then. I don't know about you, but I'm hungry and thirsty." He punctuated the last words, bringing Emma back to reality. Once the initial surprise was over, it seemed that Killian had decided to take advantage of the opportunity offered. "Shall I order us some drinks?" He asked with flirtatious voice.

Her cheeks flushed as she heard his voice and saw his expression. Although he was deliberately exaggerating his expression —or so she believed— his arched eyebrows, his sultry look, and seductive smile were causing her stomach to flutter. This was not a good idea. Even acting, this man was too sexy for his own good.

This place was too romantic and he was especially handsome tonight, and they were together, enjoying a dinner... _Stop! This is not a date_. This was just something unexpected. She forced herself to keep a straight face deliberately ignoring the butterflies in her belly and decided to continue on the sure path, the banter.

"Uhm, I'm not and I know that if it's hard enough to put up with you when you're sober, it's even more when you're tipsy."

He leaned a little toward her, his gaze even more piercing and voice more hoarse. "Or maybe you a bit worried you'll find me even more irresistible after a few libations?"

"Seriously, Jones?" She rolled her eyes exaggeratedly as she tossed what was closest to her, which luckily was her napkin. Her reaction, of course, made him chuckle.

Okay, he wanted to play? They were going to play. She leaned slightly forward, her arms crossed resting on the table and her breasts on them, the posture making her neckline even more evident. "You already know that your seduction game doesn't work with me." Now it was her turn to show a seductive voice. "So maybe you're the one who finds me even more irresistible, do you think you could handle it, buddy?"

Killian's smile disappeared completely from his face, giving way to a clenched jaw as he tried to prevent, without success, his gaze drifting towards her cleavage. Emma, in turn, couldn't stop her lips from curving into a proud smile, totally grateful to herself for the right choice of the dress. Just as he was about to say something, they heard someone shouting her name.

"Emma!"

Both turned their heads looking for the origin of the voice.

Anna, Elsa's sister, waved at them as she walked towards them. Kristoff, her boyfriend, was walking a few steps behind her. They came to their table in an instant, without giving them any time to react.

"Oh, how lucky we are to have found you!" Anna sat in the empty chair next to Emma, as she gestured to Kristoff to sit next to Killian.

"My sis told me about the reservation, I was dying to come to this place, but Elsa told me it was too late to include us. Luck is on our side today, though. When I talked to her and I found out that she was sick I thought, yes, why don't we try it? I'm sure they can make room for one more at the table." The words spilled out of her mouth, giving no time to the others to process them. "By the way, where's Liam?" But before anyone could respond, she continued. "It's much better if he is not here, so we can join you. You see, Kriss, I told you it was a good idea to come." Anna's mouth finally closed, her lips drawing a smile of satisfaction.

Emma shook her head slightly, dropping her jaw a little, trying to process what had just happened. Her gaze shifted to Killian, who had the same confused gesture, though she could also detect some annoyance in his gaze.

"Wait a moment, we have not interrupted anything, right?" Her eyes widened as she pointed to the two of them.

Emma blushed as she realized that her posture was the same as before the interruption, so she quickly made up, keeping her back straight and her hands on her lap. "Of course not."

"Then we can join you, can't we?"

Again her gaze shifted toward Killian, who shrugged and nodded almost imperceptibly. "Uhm, yeah, we have not even ordered yet."

In this unexpected way, like everything that happened during the night, dinner became again a dinner for four. Emma couldn't deny that she was relieved in some way by Anna's appearance. The game started with Killian was dangerous, so cutting it off with the help of her friend was probably the most convenient. That didn't stop her from being disappointed, too. That kind of no-date would have been a good opportunity to hang out with Killian away the places they used to. Oddly enough, occasionally getting out of their comfort zone had also many interesting possibilities, and as long as they didn't cross a certain line, everything would be fine.

In spite of everything, the evening was quite pleasant. Anna delighted them with her insatiable verbiage, only slowed down when she had to eat, but the talk was nice and she felt in good company. Besides, she didn't miss the sideways glances Killian threw at her from time to time. The hours passed without her hardly realizing and suddenly they found themselves paying the bill and leaving the restaurant.

The cold of December night welcomed them as soon as they left the restaurant. Emma felt a shiver run through her body as a gust of freezing wind hit her. Still, she wasn't yet ready to return to the warmth of her apartment. Just when she was about to suggest going to have some drinks, Anna overtook her.

"Well, it's been a great night, but now it's time to take care of my sister, I'm coming home with you, Emma."

"Uh huh." _Really?_ Emma thought with some disappointment. Because the truth was that there was no way she would reject Anna's idea. She couldn't use any excuse not to accompany her to her own apartment. Although she actually only wanted to spend more time with Killian, regardless of the place or the reason.

As Anna and Kristoff stepped away from them to say goodbye to each other, she cast a sideways glance toward where Killian was, just a few steps away. Though his face was impassive, his eyes were fixed on her. Emma gave him a small smile and that seemed to activate something in him, because at that moment he approached her, invading without preamble her personal space.

"Although it's a shame that I miss the sight of your lovely attire, I care more about your well-being, Swan." He grabbed the lapels of her coat, pulling her slightly toward him, causing her heart to skip and her stomach to flop. "Do you need help to fasten your coat?" His suggestive voice did nothing to placate her sudden agitation. He was too close and his gaze was so intense she wasn't sure she could react at all and button up the damn coat.

"Says the man who spends all winter wearing only a leather jacket." She managed to say in a hint of lucidity as she rolled her eyes. Killian cocked his head slightly, arching an eyebrow, and his chin pointed toward her coat, without removing his hands from its lapels. Her trembling fingers —because of the cold, of course — began to slowly button up all the buttons, while her eyes stayed fixed on him, giving him a defiant glance.

"Are you happy now?" The words came out of her mouth between puffs of mist. She hated to give him the reason but the truth was that despite the momentary heat had invaded her by Killian's proximity, the air was chilly around her, so she thanked the warmth offered by the coat.

Although Killian had dropped his arms the moment she finished her task, he continued to stare at her, the tip of his tongue peeking out at the corner of his mouth. "Not yet, love." He walked away a couple of steps and she cursed to herself when the cold surrounded her again as she lost the protection of his body. A flash of a smile began to form on his face anticipating his new crazy idea. "I'm sure you've brought with you one of those lovely beanies of yours." The hint of a smile was now a wide smirk.

"Seriously? Do you want me to wear a beanie with this dress?" As she spoke she made a gesture with her hand pointing her body up and down. She didn't lose sight of the fact that the movements of her hand were followed by Killian's glance accompanied by a gesture of appreciation.

"As I told you before, love, I care about your well-being. Besides, you look pretty adorable with one of those framing your face."

"Adorable..." She echoed his words mockingly as her gaze moved unconsciously to where Anna and Kristoff were. The two of them had finished saying goodbye and they were staring at the scene side by side with amused expressions on their faces.

For a few seconds she had completely forgotten that the two of them were not alone, so by the time she realized Anna and Kristoff were both watching, she cleared her throat, noticing how her cheeks flushed angrily. After rolling her eyes, she pulled the damn beanie from her coat pocket and put it on. "Happy now?" She repeated her own words with a bit of annoyance.

By all answer, Killian approached her again, invading once more her personal space and completely ignoring the presence of witnesses. He lifted his arms as he adjusted the beanie on her head. She stood still, watching from under her lashes as her heart quickened a little at his closeness. Once satisfied with the result, he leaned slightly toward her and brushed his lips almost imperceptibly against her cheek, sending a chill that ran all over her body from head to toe. This time the cold wasn't the cause at all.

"Aye, love. See you tomorrow."

For a moment, she froze, unable to react. They kissed each other continuously —cheek kisses of course — but this time she had felt the simple touch of his lips against her skin with much more intensity. The hermetic expression on Killian's face certainly didn't help, either. Fortunately, Anna came to her rescue, approaching her and hanging her arm from hers.

"Ah, one more thing." Just as they were about to turn to walk to the cab spot, Killian spoke again. "Remember that we have a rehearsal tomorrow."

In fact, their performance as a duo had been a success, so they had contemplated the possibility of repeating it on more occasions if that was okay with her. Of course it was. What she had experienced on stage was something magical and she was more than willing to repeat it.

"Sure, have you already chosen the song?"

"You'll have to wait until tomorrow, love." Killian winked at her as he offered her one of his adorable smiles, a flash of white teeth and curved lips, causing on her an almost irrepressible need to wipe it out with her own lips against his.

Killian waved before turning and walking with Kristoff. She watched them for a few seconds, reluctant to lose sight of him yet. Just when she was going to give up, he turned his head, his eyes looking for her. She gave him one last smile and this time she did begin to walk beside Anna in the opposite direction.

Surprisingly, Anna seemed thoughtful, so her lips remained sealed, a quiet silence fell over them as they walked. That allowed her to lose herself in her own thoughts.

Her mind led her to the kiss they had shared a moment before. Their kisses on the cheeks were one of the public displays of affection they were accustomed to. Because friends kiss each other, right? Perhaps these displays of affection weren't convenient at all considering her feelings toward him, but she felt selfish in that regard. She was unable to offer him much more and wasn't sure he was interested either, honestly. But at least she could have it. And he seemed not to complain at all.

This time the kiss hadn't been different from other occasions, but she had been much more affected by it. She could still feel the tingling on her cheek... Perhaps the cause was the exceptional situation in which they had been involved or maybe their previous banter. Whatever the reason was, the need to feel his lips on her skin again grew more and more.

The silence did not last long. Just as they reached the spot, Anna gave her a narrow-eyed glance as she asked, taking her out of her thoughts. "So, is there something you have to tell me about you and Killian?"

 _Dammit!_ She should have known better before flirting blatantly with him in front of Anna. Emma already had enough with one of the two sisters being aware of her secret. The last thing she needed was that Anna and her inability to remain silent for more than two minutes in a row also knew it. So she did what she did best, that is, feign confusion and/or divert attention. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh please!" Anna rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. It was clear that it wasn't going to be that easy. "I'm very insightful, you know, there's something here you're not telling me about, and I'm dying to know some good gossip, so tell me, have you two finally decided to be together?"

 _Finally?_ Luck was on her side that night. Just then a cab came in, so Emma hurried to stop it and get into the car, but not before muttering. "There is nothing between us, we are just friends."

"Whatever you say." Anna snorted as she murmured under her breath.

Once inside, the cards were still on her side, as the taxi driver turned out to be a talkative man and Anna was soon caught up in a conversation with him about Christmas traditions or something similar. Not that Emma was listening, really, since, her phone began to buzz shortly after beginning the drive. The moment she found out that Killian was sending her a message, everything else ceased to exist.

 _ **Hey, beautiful. I don't think I had the opportunity to tell you before. But you looked stunning in that dress, Swan. - KJ**_

A broad smile formed on her face as she read the message, as a thought settled in her memory. That was, two months ago she had received a similar message, from the same person, praising the same dress.

 _Uhm, that sounds familiar to me. Don't you think? - ES_

 ** _What? That you did look stunning? It's likely because it's a fact that you look stunning on most occasions. - KJ_**

Emma blushed. Apparently, the flirtation was not over tonight. She couldn't deny that she was flattered by this new closeness of Killian. And even though this might make things more difficult, she was unable to get rid of any gesture of affection from him, even in the form of a simple compliment.

In fact, for the first time in three years, she had begun to consider giving her heart a new chance. Even so, the fear of losing Killian was still too paralyzing. But little by little a ray of hope had begun to seep through the cracks. And this time she was not going to be the one to seal those cracks back up.

* * *

 **Elsa**

Elsa hadn't moved off the couch since Emma left the apartment a few hours earlier. The only activity she had done ever since was to call Liam pretending to be his employee, a certain Myke. She hoped Liam had the volume low enough because she couldn't help but giggle at how he pretended in front of his brother and her friend.

He had called her back a few minutes later, clearly excited because _Operation HE_ was on course as planned. He was also apparently worried having noticed her hoarse tone in the previous call. It was then that Elsa had told him that she hadn't needed to fake her illness.

So Elsa remained on the couch, too excited and impatient to try to sleep a little, but also weak enough to entertain herself with another task while she waited for Emma's return.

And the fact was that she still felt like crap. She felt a constant hammering in her head, her nose was plugged and her throat ached like hell, making even the simple task of swallowing hard. _Dammit_! The karma in the form of a horrible flu had come in search of her. That was the idea from the beginning, pretending that she was sick to avoid going to the restaurant. But it was obvious that she hadn't needed to fake it at all. Despite her discomfort, though, that had made things even more believable, so she hoped this would at least have served her purpose.

At that moment she heard someone opening the front door, so she sat up, eager to see Emma's reaction. The expectation didn't last, however, since, before even being able to see Emma, her sister approached her and began to speak in her hurried style.

"Oh Elsa, you look horrible!" Anna placed her hand on her sister's forehead to check her temperature, but the distraction was short-lived. "It was a shame you couldn't go to the restaurant, the place was so sophisticated and the food delicious, right Emma? Either way, you and I have to go back someday, when you recover, of course."

Elsa's eyebrows went together, showing the confusion she felt at that moment. Maybe the headache had clouded her mind, because Anna hadn't been in the same restaurant as Emma, spoiling their surprise date, _right? RIGHT?_ "Wait a moment..." _Oh God_ , even the attempt to speak was painful and her voice sounded totally hoarse. Still, she managed to continue. "What happened here? Have you been to the same restaurant as Emma and Killian?" Her gaze shifted to her friend's, for confirmation.

Emma nodded in response, but before she could speak, her sister— her crazy sister — came forward. "Oh yeah! Since you were sick and couldn't attend I thought we could try our luck and get us to the same table. And as Liam had to leave, we had no problem at all. So in the end, there was again a table for four." Anna giggled.

 _What the hell?_ Had she heard correctly? Had her plan been ruined because of her sister? Her jaw dropped slightly and she remained that way for a few seconds, unable to react. But Anna interrupted her once more, rising and heading for the bathroom. At least the momentary absence of the whirlwind she had for sister gave her the opportunity to talk to Emma and see how the night had gone.

Her friend took off her coat and placed it on the coat rack, also taking off her shoes and collapsing beside her on the couch.

"It's true that you look awful, Elsa. Have you taken any pills to relieve your symptoms?"

"I'm fine, it's just a cold." She waved her hand, dismissing the matter.

Elsa gave Emma a scrutinizing look. She knew that her friend wasn't going to express openly how she felt. Since her confession two months ago, she had hardly said anything about it. Any attempt to talk about Killian and her feelings toward him were abruptly cut off. _Yes, she still felt the same and no, she was not going to do anything about it_. That was all she had gotten, so asking directly about him was not the best idea if she intended to get some kind of information.

This time the expression on Emma's face was relaxed, the corners of her lips rising slightly, drawing a small smile that she had already identified as _Killian's smile_. Her gaze also had a special glow, so she hoped that despite Anna's interruption the night would have gone well.

"So how was your night? Anna clearly liked the place, but what do you think?"

"She's right. The restaurant was elegant and the food delicious. We had a nice time the four of us, although we missed you and Liam, of course."

"You had a good time with Killian, then?" She asked tentatively.

Emma took a couple of deep breaths before answering. "Yes, everything was fine with Killian. He even made me put my beanie on when we left the restaurant." To Elsa's surprise, Emma seemed more relaxed than usual and more open to expressing how she felt.

"Since Liam and I couldn't attend, perhaps you would have preferred to dine alone with him." Elsa ventured, testing the ground.

Emma bit her lower lip clearly considering how to respond. Finally, she decided. "We actually spent some time alone, before your sister came in. It was only a few minutes, but that gave me an idea of how the night would have gone without the interruption of Anna and Kristoff. And I think the night would have been quite interesting, honestly." Emma gave her a broader smile as she raised an eyebrow.

 _This is new,_ she thought pleasantly surprised at Emma's new attitude. It seemed their plan had not been a complete failure after all. If any doubt remained, they cleared the moment Emma's phone began to buzz and she looked at the screen. Her face brightened and her smile widened even more.

When Emma noticed that she was being watched she tried to hide her smile, pressing her lips together forming a straight line. "I have ... I have to change clothes, I'll be back in a moment." Without anything further, she rose from the sofa and headed for her bedroom, with her phone still in her hand and her smile back on her face.

 _These two idiots_... It was clear that Emma was chatting with Killian despite having just said goodbye to him a few minutes ago. If they were aware of the image they presented outwardly, they might consider bringing down those walls that prevented them from advancing toward each other. It reminded her that she had to contact Liam to tell him the news. But just then her sister reappeared, collapsing beside her on the couch.

"So, what's going on with those two?" Anna pointed to Emma's bedroom. The question caught her off guard and for a moment she couldn't react.

"What do you mean?"

Anna rolled her eyes as she sighed, preparing herself for one of her endless chats. "There has always been an unresolved sexual tension between them, but there is so much tension lately that can be cut with a knife. Do you know something that I don't?"

Elsa shifted uneasily in her seat. She didn't like to hide things from her sister, but Emma had made it clear that she didn't want to reveal her secret to anyone else. "They're just friends, Anna." As her sister rolled her eyes again in a sign that she wasn't buying it, Elsa was forced to add something more, this time showing some more conviction in her tone of voice. "Sometimes the line between friendship and something else may be blurred, but in this case, there is nothing else, at least for now." She was not lying here, right?

"Whatever you say, but tonight these two ate each other with their eyes. It's a matter of time, I'm telling you."

"We'll see." She added as she closed her eyes and massaged her temples. Her headache had become more intense, perhaps it was time to rest.

Anna also seemed to notice her discomfort, because she immediately pushed her to get up. "Okay, bedtime, _sis_ , I'm going to sleep on the couch, don't worry about me, I'll ask Emma if I need anything."

Elsa didn't reply. She gave her a small smile, got up from the sofa and headed for her bedroom, but not before grabbing her phone. She had to do something more before succumbing to sleep.

Once in the privacy of her room, she moved as far away from the door as possible to avoid being heard and dialed Liam's number. He answered on the third ring.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Liam, can you talk?" She asked in a whisper.

"Hey, Elsa, how are you, do you feel any better?" Liam's voice had a hint of concern that was new to her, mostly because they didn't have as close a relationship as she could have with Killian. For some reason, Elsa felt quite comforted by his words.

"I'll be better tomorrow, I hope so at least."

"You should rest, we'll talk tomorrow."

She deliberately ignored him. She needed to make sure Liam was on the same page as she was. "Have you talked to Killian?"

"Not yet. Although he sent me a message telling me he was coming to _The Kraken_ to help me close."

"Well, you should know then that our operation failed. My sister Anna appeared in the restaurant and she and Kristoff replaced us at dinner."

"Oh, come on, really?" He replied clearly annoyed. The truth was that they had put enough hope in this kind of date, and although the result hadn't been the desired one, it was possible that they did have some small progress.

"But it seems the night has not gone completely awry." She reassured him, trying to soften her voice despite her hoarseness. "Emma has come home quite happy."

"Oh, bloody hell, I have to hang up now, lass. Killian just got in." Liam lowered his voice. " I'll inform you as soon as I can. Take care." With that, the call ended abruptly.

Elsa put her phone down on her bedside table and lay down on the bed. Despite her exhaustion and discomfort, she remained expectant, clearly curious about Killian's reaction. Still, the cold began to take its toll, her eyelids getting heavier. She found it increasingly difficult to stay awake. Just as she was about to fall asleep, her phone buzzed. _Incoming message_.

 _Hi again. Killian is too close, that's why I'm not calling you back. Besides, it's better this way, since you won't have to force your voice to talk to me. But I did want to tell you that our plan hasn't been a failure despite your sister. - LJ_

Elsa smiled, grateful again for Liam's concern for her. Her fingers slid quickly across the keyboard, eager to know more.

 ** _Did Killian tell you anything? - Elsa_**

 _No, but he's smiling like an idiot. - LJ_

Her smile grew even wider, as both Emma and Killian seemed to be reacting in the same way.

 ** _That's good, don't you think? - Elsa_**

 _Aye, and that means we're on the right track. We must continue to create similar situations, to bring them closer. Any new ideas? - LJ_

In fact, Elsa had already thought of a new plan for their operation. Something that could be fun and could even increase their physical contact. Not to mention that she was an expert on the subject.

 ** _Uhm, yes, I have something in mind. Do you have any plans for Sunday morning? Because we're going ice skating. The four of us. - Elsa_**

 _That's a great idea! Not only I will finally be able to check your skills as a skater, but it turns out that the three of us are not exactly experts… - LJ_

 ** _And that means that they may have to hold onto each other so they don't fall to the ice. - Elsa_**

 _You are bloody fantastic, lass! - LJ_

Elsa felt a little overwhelmed by the amount of compliments she was receiving in such a short space of time. That was something she was not accustomed to, so she felt the need to reward him somehow.

 ** _Well, it seems like you and I work well together. It's a merit of the two of us. - Elsa_**

 _Aye. And now you should go to sleep. I hope you will be recovered enough for Sunday. We'll speak soon. Good night Elsa. - LJ_

 ** _Good night, Liam. - Elsa_**

Elsa silenced her phone and put it back on her nightstand, resting her head on the pillow. Despite all the odds, everything seemed to be going pretty well. And the fact that she was going to be able to put her knowledge into practice was a great incentive.

She had a slight suspicion that Killian and Emma were going to accept the plan without thinking twice. It seemed pretty clear that the two of them were enjoying these new opportunities offered to be together. With that thought, she finally closed her eyes, praying that she would recover enough to be able to go skating on Sunday because she didn't want to miss that plan for the world.


	3. Don't Stop Me Now

Hello everyone! The hiatus is over, finally! Today is probably not the best day to post anything, but it's been a long time, and now that I've finished this chapter I didn't want to wait any longer since I need to focus on the rest of my WIP.

This time it's Killian and Liam's turn. A new plan has been launched, will Liam and Elsa succeed this time? We'll see... _( Note: I have no idea of ice skating, I only went skating once and I was so scared that I was hanging on the railing all the time... )_

* * *

 **Killian**

Saturday night. The adrenaline rushed through Killian's veins and his whole body vibrated in anticipation of what was to come that night. He could almost feel the touch of the guitar strings on his fingertips, and how his vocal cords tensed, impatient to begin to work out their magic in the form of a melody.

This state of excitement was not something new to him, on the contrary, it was his usual state on his concert nights. Everything was possible above a stage and he could feel it on every fiber of his being. He felt so alive in those moments, freer to express his feelings through the music. He felt powerful, able to get anything he set out to do. —Well, almost everything.

The sounds around him brought him back to reality. He was behind the bar, following his usual routine on concert nights. He forced himself to act that way every night, as a means of distraction, to keep his excitement at bay.

And tonight was not going to be any different. In front of him, two young women waited for their drink. The flash of a white-toothed smile and curved lips appeared on his face as he unfolded all his charms over the two clients. They, in turn, offered him bright smiles and suggestive glances, full of promise.

He was fully aware of the effect he had on the female clientele —and also on some male clients, of course— but this kind of seduction game was just a part of his job. At the end of the day, he always came home escorted by his two favorite people in this world. His brother and his... well, his friend. For this reason, although his smile was directed at his avid clients, his gaze had only one goal, _Emma Swan_.

She was stunning that night, slipping through the crowd as she took photos, right in front of him, teasing him like a bloody siren. Her choice of attire did not help to calm his agitation, rather the opposite. She wore a tiny black top and black leather leggings, which, along with the heels she was also wearing, made her legs look slender. Her hair pulled back in a high ponytail, enhanced her features, making her even more desirable. _A bloody siren._

He couldn't take his gaze away from her. His eyes watched all her movements through the room and she seemed fully aware of his scrutiny, or maybe he imagined things, but the truth was that her suggestive movements were driving him crazy, especially when thinking that a little later they would have to share the stage.

His lips curled into a smile at the thought of their next performance together, his mind bringing to his memory the moment he unveiled the mystery and informed her of the song they would sing on Saturday.

* * *

 _He hoped he had made the right decision. After this kind of impromptu and then failed date the night before, Killian was going to meet Emma early in The Kraken to begin rehearsals for their upcoming performance. As he waited, his mind relived, again and again, some of the moments experienced the night before._

 _Emma had come to the restaurant with the same bloody dress of two months ago when they met by chance in that bar. Killian suspected that she was aware of the effect her attire had on him, yet he did his best to hold her gaze and keep his eyes from straying a little lower. 'Bloody hell'. The sole image of her impressive neckline was enough to make his blood run hot in his veins._

 _Something different was happening between them. It was such a subtle change that Killian still couldn't identify its meaning, but from that day on he confessed his feelings due in part to Belle's betrayal, it was as his attraction to Emma had multiplied. He felt freer now that he didn't have to hide in front of his brother's eyes. The hope that his feelings might have reciprocated became more and more intense, as Emma was closer than ever, more affectionate, more tempting. Maybe it was only a matter of time. Or maybe it was just his imagination and Emma still saw him as just a friend._

 _The temptation to choose a romantic song as an instrument to express his feelings had been strong. After the experience with 'Because The Night', the idea of following the pattern his brother had started was quite attractive. He had even created a list of possible candidate songs. But this time he couldn't use his brother as an excuse as to the choice of the song. This time the weight of the choice fell entirely upon him. Maybe he was exposing himself too much. Maybe she got the message and that pushed her away, raising her walls again._

 _No, he couldn't take the risk, not now that her walls were so low that the line between friendship and something else was so faint. He would choose a fresh, positive theme that would at least allow them to have fun on stage._

 _Killian grabbed his guitar and began to play the first notes while clearing his voice and trying to adjust the tone to the song. Just then the front door of the room opened, Emma appearing there in all her splendor._

 _Emma Swan was not a morning person. Killian was aware of it shortly after meeting her for the first time, a day when they had to take inventory in The Kraken at a time when 'it should be forbidden to get out of bed'. —Her words— Her complaints and sulky expression softened only when she had ingested a sufficient dose of caffeine. This time it was not going to be any different, of course. Her features were still marked by sleep, her eyes slightly swollen and her lips pursed in an adorable pout._

 _She grunted something like "morning," and dropped into one of the bar stools, burying her head in her folded arms on the counter. Killian couldn't help but smile as he set the guitar on the stage and moved behind the bar. He pulled out the cup of coffee-to-go he had previously bought and offered it to her in silence as he gave her a gentle squeeze on her arm to get her attention._

 _Emma raised her head enough for her eyes to detect the cup. "I'm still blaming you, coffee is not enough." She pointed him with an accusatory finger, but grabbed the cup and brought it to her lips, her throat emitting the most delicious sounds as a sign of appreciation for the hot liquid._

 _A few minutes later, Emma seemed to have recovered enough. A small wrinkle still remained on her forehead but she straightened her back and at last, she focused her gaze on him._

 _"I need a reminder. At what point did this one-time thing become something else?" Her tone still had a harsh hue, but though her words were meant to be a reproach, her voice seemed to hide some amusement with the whole situation._

 _"Since we use it as a business strategy, maybe? Or because you and I had a good time up there?" He offered, pointing toward the stage. Then he leaned over the counter, invading her personal space. "Or perhaps because it's the perfect excuse to spend time with some devilishly handsome guy?"_

 _Emma rolled her eyes, a slight blush staining her cheeks. "We already spend all our time together, I do not need any excuse." The fact that she had not denied the devilishly handsome thing didn't go unnoticed by him, pulling up the corner of his lips into a wide smirk._

 _"Shall we start the rehearsals now that the caffeine has taken effect?"_

 _Emma let out a puff of air through a loud sigh. "Okay, if it has to be... Can you just tell me which song we are going to sing?"_

 _Killian cleared his throat as he gave her a mischievous look. Then, he just hummed._

 _"Tonight I'm gonna have myself a real good time_

 _I feel aliiiiive"_

 _"Seriously?"_

 _"And the world I'll turn it inside out - yeah_

 _And floating around in ecstasy"_

 _"You're serious, aren't you? You want me to sing 'Don't Stop Me Now'? Why?" Her expression showed some surprise as if she were expecting a different song style. Her voice had a slight tinge of disappointment, though the cause wouldn't have to be that she wanted a romantic song, right?_

 _Killian stepped out from behind the bar and approached her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as he pulled her to her feet. "Because it is funny."_

 _"It's funny." She parroted his words as she tilted her head slightly, seeking his gaze, her eyebrow raised in question. "There's something else, right?"_

 _"Well, I've prepared a musical base that can fit well with our voices. Besides, there's another surprise, I'm going to play the piano at the beginning."_

 _"Really?" Her eyes widened in surprise as her lips curled into a pleased smile. "That's a good reason."_

 _They walked together toward the stage. He went up first and offered her his hand. "Shall we begin then?"_

* * *

"Killian! you start in five minutes."

Liam's voice coming from the other side of the bar brought him back to reality. He looked in his direction and nodded. His brother was serving at the other end while chatting animatedly with Elsa. She had recovered from her illness and had come to see Emma perform.

Emma's friend spent a lot of time with them lately, even she had come up with a plan for the next day that included the four of them. Killian paused for a moment to observe them. The two of them were totally focused on each other as they chatted as if they were sharing something confidential. Killian wondered if maybe something was coming up between them. He also reminded himself that he would have to ask Emma about it.

He shook his head. He would have time for that later. Now he had to focus on his performance. He went into the back room to pick up his guitar and tune the chords before starting. When he came out, he headed toward the stage. The pre-performance adrenaline run through his veins, his muscles tensed in anticipation.

Emma was already waiting for him in her usual spot, on one side of the stage, a wide smile of encouragement drawn on her face. If things were different he could kiss her senseless before climbing the stage. For now, though, he could only settle for a tight embrace. Their bodies united for a few seconds while he buried his face in the crook of her neck and inhaled her intoxicant scent. He had become accustomed to these hugs as a prelude to his performance. It was as if the contact with her body gave him the necessary energy to give the best of himself up the stage.

Before pulling away, she gave him a soft kiss on his cheek as she lightly squeezed his arm. He, in turn, took two deep breaths and smiled back as he nodded. He was prepared. Emma held up the camera as she told him. "Don't think I'm taking my eyes off you for a second."

"I would despair if you did, love. I'll see you in a while up there." He winked at her before walking to the center of the stage where Liam was already announcing the performance.

As the public began to clap and cheer, Liam stepped aside as he patted his shoulder. Killian turned, looking for the sound engineer, and nodded subtly. His heart pounded against his rib cage as the music began to sound, wrapping the entire room. He closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened them, his gaze sought Emma. There she was, in the middle of the crowd, right in front of the stage, camera in hand. She smiled at him as she nodded. That was all he needed. His fingers slid over the strings of the guitar, generating the first chords as his vocal cords began to vibrate. And the magic appeared in the form of a melody.

For the next minutes, he devoted himself to the music. He let it flow through his body, as the public accompanied him enthusiastically, chanting the songs and cheering him with applause and whistles. Despite being focused on music, he kept track of Emma's movements. She, in turn, kept taking pictures of the crowd, but above all, of him. He couldn't wait to have her by his side. Although he would never recognize it, Liam's idea of Emma singing with him had been brilliant, on all levels.

He continued to sing a couple more songs, moving around the stage and encouraging the audience to sing along with him. Tonight there was something in the atmosphere that made him feel more exhilarated than on previous occasions. He let himself go and enjoyed the most of the moment. After one last song in which he gave everything of himself, the moment to share the stage finally came.

The last musical notes still echoed in the room when he grabbed the microphone with both hands and set out to introduce Emma.

"Thank you all, you are the best!" He shrieked, his breathing trying to normalize after the previous effort. "We still have one last performance as a colophon for this special night. I ask for the loudest of the applause to welcome a great and talented person, a good co-worker, and the best friend that anyone can have. I present to you all, Emma Swan!"

She was ravishing tonight, he thought as he watched her step onto the stage. He was going to have a very hard time concentrating while Emma looked at him this way, so intense and suggestive. Her lips curved into a smile he wanted to erase with his own lips on hers. But he was a professional first, so before the music sounded, he gave her a brief hug as he handed the microphone to her. He could feel she was nervous, this was new to her, after all. In an attempt to reassure her and before he took his place on the piano, he whispered in her ear, "remember the rehearsals, love, let yourself go, everything will turn out well." He squeezed her arm slightly, Emma nodding with a small smile. Then he walked back to the piano, trying to pull himself together.

Once more, he closed his eyes for a second, put his hands on the keys and after two deep breaths, began to sing.

Their performance was everything he had imagined and more. Killian was especially inspired with the piano that night even though he hadn't played the instrument for some time. That night, though, his fingers slid over the keys as if they had a life of their own. His voice sounded totally tuned, filling with Emma's to perfection.

Perhaps her presence was what inspired him to give the best of himself. She was a goddess on stage. Maybe it was his partial vision because of his feelings for her, but the truth was that she was a natural there. Once the initial nerves were over, she got into the performance, encouraging the crowd to sing with them. She jumped, and gestured towards him, as in the part of ' _give me a call_ ' in which she simulated she was holding a phone while holding his gaze. He was surprised that he could be so attuned to such distraction in front of him.

When the performance ended, his heart was beating frantically against his chest, his body was sweating but he was all plentiful, the discharge of adrenaline had had its effect. That was why he couldn't resist the temptation and pulled Emma towards him, wrapping her in a tight embrace she responded to with the same enthusiasm, to his satisfaction. After a few seconds, they separated a little, but they held their arms around each other's waists. The public was still roaring and cheering around them, so they thanked them with a bow as they waved their hands.

Before leaving the stage, though, Emma had something prepared. She grabbed the microphone again, addressing the audience. Her voice was still slightly breathless after her performance.

"Thank you very much to everyone for joining us tonight, and we hope to see you again next week in a new session of ' _Saturdays in concert_.' Remember, you can visit our website and leave your comments there. And you can also say what song you would like us to sing together next you!" Emma applauded the audience, getting well deserved new cheers. Killian was impressed with this brilliant woman. She not only was able to shine on top of a stage but had the ability to seize the opportunity to boost their business. His admiration for her grew at times.

The ovation of the crowd accompanied them on their way to the bar, where Liam and Elsa were waiting for them. His heart swelled in his chest as he saw the proud smile his brother was wearing. Liam's approval represented the world to him, after all he had done for him in recent years.

"Very well done guys." Elsa greeted them with an amused smile. "You two make a great team up there."

"You don't have to thank me for having this great idea," Liam added, waving his hand in front of them.

Emma snorted at his side at Liam's words and he was about to reply, but then he realized that Elsa had looked away as her lips curled into a thinly concealed smile. He followed her gaze, checking that what Elsa was watching was his hand and Emma's, which remained entwined since they left the stage.

That didn't seem to matter to her since she made no attempt to free her hand, so he ventured, giving her a slight squeeze, while his thumb brushed her palm. Far from pushing her away, she turned her gaze to him, her lips drawing a small smile, matching his own. He then looked at his brother, who was giving him a penetrating look that contained a special glow. He could also notice that Liam nodded almost imperceptibly. It was as if he were telling him, without needing to express it aloud, that he was following the right path on his journey to win Emma's heart.

* * *

Two hours later all the customers had already left _The Kraken_ with the exception of Elsa, who had even helped them clean up after closing. They were now sitting at the bar sharing shots to celebrate another successful night. It was nice to share these moments of camaraderie with the most important people in his life. The addition of Elsa to the small group was an incentive, as it had been like a burst of fresh air, giving them the opportunity to carry on new experiences.

And that was what they were talking about in that moment, about the new idea Elsa had offered them as a plan to hang out together. The idea of going ice-skating to an outdoor artificial ice rink that worked during the winter hadn't seemed too attractive at first. Killian had barely skated previously and felt a bit clumsy in that aspect. But little by little, he began to see the advantages of the plan. Since both he and Emma seemed to have the same level of clumsiness, perhaps they would have to hold each other to avoid falling to the ground. Yes, it was definitely not a bad idea. Not at all.

"I'm not sure I like that plan." Emma, sat next to him, didn't seem so convinced. "I mean, it's freezing outside, and I don't want to fall on the ice, just thinking about it makes me shiver." She groaned as she crossed her arms and rubbed them with her both hands as if she wanted to warm herself up. Her lips pursed in a pout that meant to show annoyance but which Killian found adorable.

"Oh, come on, Emma, we'll have a good time, you just get soaked up. Exercise will make you warm up soon." Elsa encouraged her.

"Well, guys, I don't know about you, but I'm starving. What do you say if we close and go to the restaurant next door? You're coming with us, aren't you, Elsa?" Killian raised an eyebrow at hearing his brother refer to Elsa directly. He didn't want to get his hopes up, but all this looked promising.

That's how they ended up at a twenty-four-hour open restaurant eating pizza at two in the morning. They chose a booth away from the entrance, Elsa and Liam sitting together, while Emma was at his side, in front of them. Sleep seemed to have abandoned them all despite the hour, no one was in a hurry to go to bed. Instead, they chatted nonchalantly about any subject that went through their heads, making the half-empty premises fill with their voices and laughter.

At some point, Killian put his arm around Emma's shoulders as she placed her hand on his thigh, close to his knee. It was an innocent gesture, just a display of affection between two close friends. He was aware, though, that the image they gave to the rest of the people was quite different. Anyone who saw them that way could think of them as a couple. But as long as he could maintain that confidence and closeness with Emma, he couldn't care less what people might think about it.

What he had with Emma now was so precious that he was not going to risk losing it by acting hastily. He had the impression that Emma could feel for him more than a simple friendship, especially if he compared it to her relationship with Liam, the other person closest to her. However, her fear of ending with her heart broken again kept her paralyzed.

But he was a patient man. And these new opportunities offered by both her brother and Elsa were bringing them closer. For that reason, the plan to go skating was so attractive. It was the perfect excuse to maintain the physical contact between them, something to which he found more and more difficult to resist himself.

Perhaps if he added an incentive to the experience, it would improve even more. The corners of his lips rose slightly as an idea settled on his head. "What do you think, guys, if we make a bet?"

The three of them looked at him, with the same expression of strangeness on their faces. Once he got their attention, he continued. "The first to fall to the ground tomorrow will have to pay a round of drinks to the others."

Elsa smirked. "I like that idea. I know that no matter what happens, I'm going to get free drinks tomorrow."

Liam, though, didn't seem so convinced. "We are not especially skilled in this matter. I don't get the point, it is very likely that the first thing that happens as soon as any of us step on the ice is that we fall."

"You know I like a challenge, brother. What do you say, Swan? Are you aiming to get this idiot to buy us some drinks?" As he spoke, he held his arm even more tightly around her shoulders, drawing her closer to him.

"Yeah, we're going to beat you, Liam."

"Hey, that's not fair. This is supposed to be an individual competition and you two have already allied against me." Liam grumbled, frowning as he pointed to both of them.

"Don't complain, you have an expert to help you stand up. You're going to help my clumsy brother, aren't you, Elsa?" Killian cocked his head slightly, his teasing words disguised in an innocent tone.

Elsa's cheeks flushed furiously, raising Killian's suspicions that something between them could come up. He was glad if that happened. Liam had been so focused on taking care of him in the first place and then running the business and trying to keep it afloat that he had barely had time for himself. Elsa was perfect for him, sweet and calm but with great determination. Maybe they just needed a little push…

Liam's sigh brought him back to reality. He seemed to have resigned himself because then he held up his beer. "Okay, do we have a deal?"

Everyone toasted as a way to close the deal. The friendly talk still went on for a while. Killian hoped the next day's plan would bring them at least as good a time as they had experienced today.

* * *

It was a cold, Sunday morning. Killian adjusted the beanie he wore to protect himself from the cold and rubbed his hands together in an attempt to warm himself. He could feel his fingers almost frozen despite the protection of his gloves. The idea of ice-skating was no longer so appealing to him, especially as the cold filtered through his bones as he waited for the lasses. They were late.

"There they are, at last." His brother gave him a nudge to catch his attention as he pointed to them.

 _Bloody hell_. Emma was impressive on that Sunday morning. She wore a beanie, her golden hair falling in curls and framing her features. Her cheeks had a rosy hue, her bright eyes and her gleaming smile were enough to warm both his body and his heart.

The two brothers greeted the two friends with kisses on their cheeks. After a brief chat, they all approached the skating rink and slipped on their skates. The moment his feet came into contact with the ground, he had to cling to the railing to avoid falling. _Bloody hell_ , this was going to be more complicated than it seemed at first. How on earth would he stand on only two blades on that slippery rink?

Killian looked around, both Liam and Emma had the same problem to keep their balance. Emma's expression even showed a little panic. Fortunately, Elsa soon came to their rescue. Since she was the expert on the subject, she stood before them, prepared to give them a little lesson. Elsa taught them the basic notions, showing infinite patience to their endless questions and reassuring all their fears. Killian listened attentively, feeling somehow like one of the children Elsa taught to skate. He was willing to absorb everything she could offer him if that would help him stay up long enough not to be the first to fall.

"Okay guys, so far the theory. Now let's start practicing slowly. You two look at our movements," Elsa said to the two brothers. Though her words held their usual soft tone, she imprinted a touch of firmness in her voice. "Emma, come with me."

"What? Why me?" Emma cringed a bit at his side, her panicked expression became more evident.

"Come on, don't be afraid. I won't let you down." Her soft, reassuring voice seemed to have an effect on Emma. When Elsa held out her hand to her, she seemed hesitant at first, but then grabbed her friend's hand firmly.

 _That's my girl_ , he thought with pride. The two women moved in front of them, Emma emulating Elsa's movements as she tried to keep her balance. The addition of Emma to this kind of masterclass was an incentive, no doubt, since he could observe her carefully without being embarrassed by it. Once Elsa made sure that the three of them had assimilated the basics it was time to move to the next level. She offered Emma her hand again. "Now let's skate a bit through the skating rink. Slowly, just so you can gain confidence, okay?"

Emma nodded hesitantly but gripped Elsa's hand firmly. Both began to move away with slow movements at first, Elsa holding Emma's hand as she did her best to move without falling.

Slowly, Emma was gaining confidence in her movement, printing a little more speed as she slid down the rink. Killian couldn't take his eyes off her, following her every move. He felt bewitched by her rosy cheeks both from the exercise as from the cold of the surroundings, by her hair dancing in the wind as she moved. And by her smile, hesitant at first, but that was widening as her confidence increased. She was a goddess and she seemed to perform a show just for him. At least it was what he deduced when from time to time she was looking at him, her gaze so intense that it could take his breath away.

"Close your mouth little brother." His brother's voice filled with amusement brought him out of his reverie.

He finally turned his gaze from Emma and fixed it on Liam's as he mumbled. "I don't know about you, but I'm trying to learn not to be the first to fall. The bet is still up, older brother." His lips curled into a smirk as his eyebrow rose defiantly.

Liam snorted at his side but didn't reply to him. They both continued to stare at the ladies in silence. In a few minutes, the two lasses skated in their direction, both of them clearly excited as they approached.

Maybe it was the speed or maybe Emma still didn't control the skates at all. The case was that she rushed directly at him with so much momentum that Killian had to hold her with one hand and cling to the railing with the other to avoid both ended on the ground.

"Easy, Swan. You don't want us to lose the bloody bet before we start playing."

"Whoa, it's been incredible." Emma made no attempt to move away from him, to Killian's satisfaction. It was a delightful to see her with that level of emotion, she almost vibrated in his arms.

"Okay, next level." After catching her breath, Elsa continued. "Since Emma is no longer a beginner, I'm going to take Liam now, while you, Killian, let her guide you. Remember, guys, it's important to keep our balance point, don't hold your weight on the other, use your joined hands as support to keep your balance. And don't be afraid, let yourself go and have fun!"

Killian had to admit that he had some respect for the ice. He had always preferred water in its liquid state and found it much less dangerous to sail in a rough sea than to slip on the damn slippery ice. But he liked a challenge. He had set a clear goal, that he and Emma would stand for longer than Liam. And, if to beat his brother he had to skate, so be it.

"What do you say, love? Do we show these two what we can do together?" As he spoke, he offered her his hand and she took it with determination and a smile drawn on her face.

"Sure, let's go."

Emma grabbed his hand and they began to move, moving away from the safety offered by the railing. It was much more difficult than he imagined, he had to make great efforts to avoid falling to the ground. Still, having Emma by his side was an incentive as she managed to convey the confidence he needed to keep moving.

They began to move faster, the grip on the ice felt firmer, and Emma's support helped keep his balance. Once overcoming his initial fears, Killian found himself enjoying the experience more than he imagined at first.

The initial cold he felt was gone. The mixture of exercise and seeing Emma with that carefree, happy expression as she gripped his hand while occasionally smirking confidently, was enough to warm him.

Killian reached for his brother and found him a few steps ahead of them as he tried, and almost failed, to keep his balance. Despite Elsa's help, Liam didn't seem to be having a particularly good time. He moved up and down his free hand, unable to control his body on the skates. Killian's lips curled into a smirk. It was only a matter of time before Liam fell to the ice.

After a few minutes, the self-confidence he felt was such that he dared to let go of Emma for a few seconds. She wanted to take a picture —how not?—, so she let go of his hand while looking for her phone and skated away a few steps to get a better angle. After taking a couple of photos, she came up to him again, with somewhat hesitant movements as Killian reached out and pulled her to him. He held her in his arms as they regained their balance. When they had already gained stability, Emma held up her phone to take a couple of selfies of the two of them together, immortalizing in this way the great moment they were experiencing.

"It's my turn now, Swan. Hold on there for a moment." Killian felt the need to keep a picture of Emma for the memory. He skated slowly, moving away from her, took his phone out of his pocket and took a few photos, capturing the image of Emma all excited, vibrant and joyful.

Just as he began to approach her again, something happened that froze his heart and paralyzed him completely. Killian watched in horror as a damn reckless guy swooped over Emma at full speed, causing her to fall to the floor, her head and shoulder slamming into the icy surface.

"Emma!" A gasp escaped his throat as he staggered, suddenly feeling the damn skates as an obstacle to reaching her. When he finally got to where Emma lay on the ground, Killian knelt, his gaze traveling frantically over her face to determine her condition. "Emma, love, are you alright?" He didn't bother to hide the worry in his voice. It was at that moment that he discovered she was bleeding through an open wound just above her left eyebrow.

Emma looked confused, but fortunately, she hadn't lost consciousness. She tried to sit up, but at that moment a wince of pain crossed her face as she reached for her left arm. "Shit, my shoulder hurts like hell."

"You think you can get up, love? You're going to get frozen on that bloody ice." Killian realized that it was hard for Emma to fix her gaze, so his worry grew, his heart caught in his throat as he struggled against the laces of her skates, his trembling fingers refusing to cooperate.

Liam and Elsa arrived at that moment, Elsa knelt at his side, with concern marked on her face. "What happened?" Without waiting for an answer, she continued. "We have to get her out of here, her clothes are soaking in the ice. Liam, can you help us?"

When Killian looked up at his brother, his gaze met the damn asshole that had caused all that. He was a little away talking to a group of people, totally oblivious to what he himself had caused, laughing and having a good time. The sight of the unconcerned dude in contrast to Emma's pitiful situation was too much for him.

A sudden rage seized him, clouding his reason. "I'm going to kill that asshole." He mumbled as he sat up abruptly, arms on both sides of his body, his hands curled into fists and his jaw clenched. He felt an urgent need to discharge all his fury and worry in the form of a punch in the face of that guy with the aim of erasing his stupid grin.

Just as he was moving toward the guy, something slowed him. His brother seemed to see his intentions, because he reached him in an instant, his firm grip on his arm preventing his advance and causing him to turn. "Hey, Killian, look at me."

Killian forced himself to take two deep breaths, trying to calm his inner agitation. Reluctant at first, he finally looked at his brother. When Liam seemed sure of getting his attention, he began to speak in a slow voice. "Believe me, brother, I'm the first one who wants to go for the guy who's harmed Emma, but we have a priority. She needs you now."

Emma's mention was all he needed to come to reason again. He took a deep breath once more, trying to slow his racing heart, letting his fury fade away. Killian nodded then and knelt, taking his place beside Emma.

He searched her gaze for any hint of her condition. She looked back at him, but her eyes had lost all of their previous vivacity. "Emma, let's get you up, do you think you can walk?" She nodded in silence, the corner of her lip raised slightly in an attempt of a tiny smile.

Killian's heart broke when he saw her in that state. A few minutes earlier she was full of life and now she was barely able to stay conscious. It was as if the fall had drained all her energy. Although his inner rage still persisted, he tried to put all his efforts into ensuring her well-being.

They managed to get her off the rink and reached a nearby bench. Emma had started to shiver, so he didn't hesitate and took off his coat to put it over her shoulders while rubbing her arms in an attempt to warm her up.

Elsa was trying to plug the wound over her eyebrow, but this one was still bleeding and from the grimace on her face it looked like her shoulder was still aching. They had to take her to the hospital.

He searched her gaze again. "Emma, love, we're going to take you to ER, so they can check your shoulder and head, okay?"

She nodded again and finally spoke, her voice coming out in barely a murmur through a small smile. "It seems that I lost the challenge and it's my turn to buy you all a round of drinks."

A wave of affection swept over him, and an almost irrepressible desire to take her in his arms. He felt unable to hide his feelings and at that moment he could not care less.

* * *

Elsa and Emma were taking too long. Liam and he had been waiting for what seemed like hours in the waiting room of the hospital. He was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't even realize he was wiggling his leg up and down until Liam laid his hand on his knee.

"Calm down, Killian, they will come out at any moment."

He tried, he really did, but as time passed without news of Emma, he was getting more and more nervous. The fury that seemed to have diluted before, was now coming back with more force. He wasn't only angry with the asshole who had hurt Emma, but also with himself. _I should not have let go of her hand_. That thought kept repeating itself over and over in his head, making him feel more and more guilty about what had happened. And if that were not enough, another even more frustrating thought threatened to drain the little composure he still had. _It should be me who was accompanying her inside._

But Elsa was her emergency contact and also her roommate so it was right if she was the one beside her at the moment. After all, he was just a friend, he repeated to himself bitterly.

 _Bloody hell_ … He stood up, unable to stand still any longer and began pacing up and down. He felt like a caged animal, while impotence crawled over him, finding himself unable to do anything to help Emma.

To make matters worse, his ghosts of the past, those who were buried in the most hidden corner of his memories, threatened to emerge to the surface, bringing back to his mind the reminder of one of his most heartbreaking experiences.

"It's going to be okay, Killian. It's just been a heavy hit." Killian had been so focused on his own miseries that he hadn't realized that his brother had also risen, getting in his way.

Liam searched his gaze as he laid his hand on his shoulder, giving him an affectionate squeeze. "I know what you're thinking, brother." Liam addressed him in a slow voice, as he always did when he tried to calm him down. "Emma will be fine."

That was all Killian needed. His brother had always acted as a lifeline to which he could cling to the hard times. And this time it was not going to be less. The confidence that denoted both his words and his eyes were enough to make him calm down. He felt his muscles relax instantly at the touch of his brother as he nodded, his lips drawing the ghost of a smile.

"I know it's frustrating, you feel helpless and you want to be in there with her. But Emma is in good hands, Killian."

"I know ... but she's always so strong, and yet after the fall, she seemed so fragile..." He trailed off, hating the vulnerability his voice displayed, but he couldn't help feeling a strong instinct for protection towards Emma.

Liam was about to reply when something caught their attention on the other side of the hall. They both turned in the direction of the sound, and, finally, Killian let out the breath he had been holding as the two lasses appeared.

Elsa was holding a weak Emma. Her face was pale, a large dressing covered the wound over her eyebrow and her left arm was in a sling. Killian clenched his jaw, the previous rage threatening to appear again at the thought of the guy who had brought them to this situation.

The moment Emma noticed him, though, she seemed to gather all her strength, since she threw herself into his arms suddenly, clinging to his body as she buried her face against his chest. After his initial shock at the unexpectedness of her movement, he held her in his arms, holding her tightly as his hand gently caressed her back up and down.

Killian searched for Elsa's gaze, encouraging her to explain with a nod.

"She's got a little concussion, nothing serious, apparently, but the doctor has recommended that someone take care of her for the next twenty-four hours. I'll have to wake her up every two or three hours to make sure everything's okay."

"And what about her shoulder?" Liam asked.

"She got a bad bruise, but fortunately there is no rupture or dislocation, she will only have to wear the sling a couple of days. The doctor has administered her some pain relievers."

"I'm fine." Emma mumbled against his shirt. She turned her head a little looking for Liam. "But I'm afraid today you'll have to work without me at the bar." Emma was dragging her words, a sign that the painkillers were working.

He couldn't help it and held her even more tightly in his arms, careful not to damage her shoulder any further. She didn't seem to mind him, on the contrary, as she curled up against him. Killian was aware that Elsa would be in charge of taking care of Emma during the night. After all, they lived together and he had other obligations. Still, that didn't stop him from feeling powerless and frustrated because he couldn't do anything else for her. Perhaps for that reason, their embrace persisted a little longer, both reluctant to abandon each other's arms.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm already tired of this hospital. Shall we go so that this lass can rest?" As he spoke, Liam gave him an apologetic look.

They walked silently down the hospital corridors, Killian holding Emma by her waist. When they reached the area where their cars were parked it was also time to say goodbye.

Emma seemed reluctant to leave the shelter in his arms. After a few seconds of hesitation, though, she pulled away a little as she gave him a shy smile, matching her gaze.

"I'll call you in a little while, okay? Take the time to rest, Swan." She nodded. Though her smile still lingered, she looked exhausted. Both the hit and the drugs were taking their toll. In a rush of tenderness, he cupped her face with both hands and laid a soft kiss on her forehead, before gently pushing her and helping her into Elsa's vehicle as Liam kept the door open.

Killian helped her to fasten her seatbelt and when he looked at her again, her eyes were closed. With a sigh of resignation, he closed the door gently and turned to Elsa.

"If you notice that she gets worse or needs anything, just call me and I'll be there." Killian paused for a moment. Maybe he was exposing himself too much. After all, Elsa didn't know his true feelings towards Emma, but after the last events It was difficult to control his emotions. "And thanks for taking care of her, truly."

"Sure, it's the least I can do. And don't worry, she'll be fine." Her quiet voice and reassuring words had their effect on Killian. He returned her a smile of gratitude. "By the way, I'm afraid of the moment when I have to wake her up in the middle of the night. We all know how bad she feels when she has to wake up early."

"Well, if she yells, growls, or lets out curses, you'll know she's on the right track in her recovery." Liam joked, getting a little giggle out of them and thus releasing some of the tension that reigned over them after Emma's accident.

After the brief distended moment, Killian continued. "I'll replace you tomorrow morning, so you can continue with your routine activities."

Before stepping into the car, Elsa glanced at Liam with a strange expression on her face, perhaps apologetic? He could not identify it. His brother, in response, nodded almost imperceptibly, but that didn't go unnoticed by him. Killian narrowed his eyes, watching the two of them more closely, what was going on here? He would have time to appreciate it later, during the endless hours at _The Kraken_ without Emma's company.

Elsa got finally into her car after one last look at them. In a few seconds, the vehicle drove away until it was out of sight, leaving Killian alone with a tight heart filled with helplessness and a still lingering worry. He sighed heavily as he ran his hand over his face. It was going to be a very long night without Emma at his side.

* * *

 **Liam**

Liam brought the cup of coffee to his lips, lost in thought as he waited for Elsa. They would meet for breakfast in a cafe and take the opportunity to talk about their failed plan. _Once again_. Killian had left home early after having slept, or at least tried, just a couple of hours after returning from the bar.

A few minutes later the cafe door opened and Elsa appeared. She looked around until she met his gaze, sending him a small smile. There was no doubt that the night had been hard for her as she had to watch over Emma's sleep. Her tired expression and swollen eyes were a good sign of it. Yet, the lack of sleep and enduring Emma's moodiness hadn't succeeded in diminishing the serenity her features always conveyed.

Liam welcomed her with a soft kiss on her cheek, a habitual act lately, as their relationship became closer by having to work as allies with a common cause. She dropped into the seat in front of him, making a signal to the waitress. Elsa's love of coffee was something she shared with her roommate. Emma couldn't function properly if she didn't get her adequate dose of caffeine, and neither did Elsa.

"You look exhausted. It's been a long night, I guess."

"Yeah," she sighed. "Emma can sometimes be too stubborn and she hasn't taken it well to have to wake up in the middle of the night on several occasions."

Liam gave her a knowing smile. Of course, he knew Emma's stubborn side and her badass attitude, in contrast to the soft side she'd only occasionally revealed, especially when Killian was involved.

"Well, that's a good sign, isn't it?" The image of a fragile Emma in his brother's arms was something that had affected them all. "That means she's back to herself."

"Indeed." Elsa giggled. "You should have seen the way she received your brother this morning. She was sulking like that — _I don't need a nanny_ —." Elsa mimicked Emma's sullen voice.

"That's my girl." Liam answered, unable to avoid a hint of pride in his voice. Both the strength and bravery that characterized Emma were admirable. "Let me guess, my brother sure did return some comment to the height, right?"

"Oh, of course. He put on that characteristic gesture of his, you know, his eyebrow naughty arched and that wide smirk while he answered something like that, — _well, love, technically I'm not your nanny, but your nurse_.—" This time Elsa imitated both Killian's voice and his expression, causing Liam to break into laughter at such a good performance. "Emma didn't take it well, of course, and she threw one of those glares at him. Fortunately, it didn't go beyond that and when I went back to the living room to say goodbye before leaving, I found them like this."

Elsa grabbed her phone, searching for something, then showed it to him. It was a picture of Killian and Emma, the two of them deep asleep on the couch curled up in each other's arms.

His lips curled into a wide smile of satisfaction. "It looks like our plan wasn't so failed, after all, was it?"

"Yeah, did you see how they clung to each other in the hospital? It was as if they had forgotten to hide their feelings. It´s a shame they are both so terrified that they don't dare to take the next step."

They spent the next few minutes talking about Emma and Killian, about their obvious approach, about how it became increasingly difficult for them to hide their feelings.

They talked about the Saturday concert in which the chemistry between them was explosive or at the good time they had on Sunday while they skated until the accident happened.

While talking about skating, an image jumped into Liam's mind, Elsa's showing all her skill on skates. He had been greatly impressed not only by her skill and the elegance of her movements but also by her great patience as she taught them and her tenacity to avoid letting him fall.

"You were magnificent yesterday, by the way. You're very talented, Elsa." They had already dedicated a lot of time to the couple of lovers, there was never a bad time for a real conversation between them. And a compliment was the first thing he found to carry it out. "You looked like a professional on the ice rink."

Elsa's cheeks dyed a soft pink hue as she turned her gaze to the mug in front of her. "Well, in fact, I was a professional skater for a while."

Liam's eyes widened in surprise. He had no knowledge of that information and suddenly found himself wanting to know more about Elsa's past. "It's not that I have anything against teaching children to skate, but is there any reason why you stopped competing?"

Elsa didn't answer at once. Her thoughtful expression seemed to suggest that she was remembering old memories. When she spoke, her eyes had a special glow.

"Our aunt Ingrid died when Anna was too young to fend for herself. She was sixteen and I was nineteen, so leaving her alone for long periods of time while I was competing didn't seem plausible to me at the time. We had lost too much in our lives, I couldn't leave her alone."

A wave of tenderness came over him as he listened to her confession. He felt totally identified with her story since he himself had experienced something similar with his brother.

"That's commendable of you, Elsa."

"Well, you did something like that for your brother, so I guess you'll know how it feels."

Yes, of course he knew. He knew what it meant to take care of his brother when he himself was still too young. He knew what it meant to give up his dream of starting a military career at the naval school. But there was something he was clear about. He would do the same thing over and over if he got the almost full life that both Killian and himself were enjoying now. A business of his own, good friends, a stable life and his loyal brother always by his side, having overcome all obstacles that life had put before them.

His admiration for Elsa grew at times when he remembered that she hadn't only taken care of Anna but, from the moment she met Emma, she had also decided to take care of her somehow. Although Emma and Anna had gone to the same university, the two blondes had connected much more, creating a very strong bond between them.

They talked for a few more minutes sharing experiences from their hardest years. The level of understanding between them was high having passed both by similar situations. Liam found himself very comfortable talking to Elsa. It was as if he had discovered someone with whom he could share all his fears and all his worries. He knew in advance that she wasn't going to judge him because she herself would also be reflected in him.

Time passed without realizing it, they were so caught up in the conversation. Their respective coffees lay abandoned on the table, turned into a cold and brown undrinkable liquid.

Suddenly, Elsa's phone, placed on the table, began to vibrate, thus breaking their conversation. It was then that she realized the time it was. "Oh, God, I'm late!" An expression of disappointment crossed her face. "I still have to go and make some arrangements before lessons start." Elsa seemed to hesitate for a moment but then continued. "Are we moving forward with our plan?"

"Sure, but no risky sports this time, thank you very much." He joked, getting from her an adorable smile. "We're not going to give up, I have the feeling that Killian is almost there. He nearly lost his temper with everything that happened yesterday, I'm sure he just needs a little more push."

"Emma, however, is more closed to the idea, you know, but I know she finds it increasingly difficult to hide her feelings."

An idea had begun to form in his mind and he had a suspicion that things would be better this time. What could fail? "How about a quiet movie evening in my apartment? You could invite Anna and Kristoff to cover us up."

Elsa seemed to like the idea, since, after assessing it for a few seconds, she arched a brow playfully. "Uhm, a movie night, it sounds good, and since Killian likes a challenge, how about we organize some kind of competition?"

"Something like _guessing movies_?"

"Yes, I know, it's a silly game and we're supposed to be responsible adults, but it would be fun, and of course, they would go on the same team."

"You're brilliant, Elsa, did you know that?"

She smiled sheepishly, staring at him through her eyelashes, in a gesture that Liam was beginning to find perhaps too attractive for her own good. She held out her hand. "So we have a new plan?"

Liam took her hand, feeling her touch warm and firm. He also felt a spark of electricity running through his body with something he didn't dare identify.

A few minutes later Elsa had left the cafe, he was still sitting there, her warm touch still lingering on his skin. He shook his head as he let out a sigh and tried to gather his feelings. Even if he tried, it was impossible to ignore the fact that he had begun to feel something he hadn't experienced for a long, long time. He didn't know whether to feel hopeful or terrified. Maybe a mix of both feelings was the best choice right now. But he had one thing clear. He was more than willing to continue sharing these moments with Elsa.

* * *

Thanks for reading :)


	4. The Eye of The Tiger

_A new chapter is here! I'm sorry that the update took me so long, but I've been through a writer's block that has lasted for the last few months. Luckily my muse is back, so I'm taking the opportunity to update all my WIPs._

 _This chapter was going to be longer at first, but I decided to split it into two parts since I think it will work better that way. This time, we only have Emma POV._

* * *

Emma hated feeling weak. Even though it had been three days since her accident, she still did not feel fully recovered. As soon as she woke up, she walked directly to the couch and dropped herself down there, too lazy and still aching to do anything more productive. The trails of the incident lingered in the form of a slight dizziness and a dull pain in her shoulder.

Despite her discomfort, though, she wasn't doing well on her days off and spent most of her time at home, sulk mode on, unable to distract herself by anything.

Well, to be honest, Killian was a distraction. Too much distraction, in fact. She should be thankful for his constant presence these days. The reality, however, was quite different. She was having a difficult time dealing with his continued attention.

And it was not because she did not value his actions. The only reason, though she would never admit it aloud, was because she was not used to having anyone take care of her in her weakest moments. She found it difficult to show her most vulnerable side, after so many years of having to take care of herself, with no family or friends to watch over her.

For that reason, when for the third consecutive day Killian appeared at her door at ten in the morning, she was not in her most hospitable mood.

The sound of the keys at her front door announced his presence even before he appeared. Emma let out a groan of annoyance as she regretted the moment she decided to give him the keys to her apartment a year ago.

She could handle Elsa's or even Liam's attentions better, but when it came to Killian she was more reticent. Elsa and Liam were just friends, very close friends, actually. Killian, however, was much more, at least for her. Her thinking was full of inconsistencies, she was aware of it. But the presence of Killian continuously worrying about her was causing the walls around her heart to weaken. And the worst thing was that she still wasn't sure about his feelings towards her.

"Good morning, love." He was in front of her in an instant, swaggering as he walked, a huge grin on his face. In his hand, a paper bag from her favorite coffee shop.

"What are you doing here?" Her response came as a grumble, as she lay on the couch, avoiding direct contact with his gaze.

He, of course, chose to ignore her, his expression unperturbed as he headed for the kitchen area.

"How are you feeling today?" He asked from there, as he opened and closed cabinets and drawers to get the things he needed. _In HER kitchen._

"Fine." She mumbled. And it was true, especially if she ignored the persistent pounding in her head, or the small dizziness when she made sudden movements. But she was not going to give more explanations that increased her degree of concern and that hint of guilt that sometimes clouded his gaze. She was not going to deny that she was somehow pleased. But on the other hand, all that worry made her nervous. Did he worry just because she was his friend or something else?

"Have you had breakfast?" His rhetorical question broke her train of thought.

"Uh-huh." — _No_ —

"Liar."

She snorted in annoyance, hating that he could read her so well. "Why bother asking me if you already know the answer?" Her voice came out in a tone perhaps too sharp, so she took a deep breath before continuing. "Listen, I'm fine. I'm not a little girl you have to supervise. I'm able to take care of myself." She said without bothering to make contact with his gaze.

Still, she couldn't help glancing sideways at the kitchen island. His expression hadn't changed, but she could feel the muscle in his cheek flexing in and out, a sign that he was losing his patience. Still, he kept his voice calm as he headed back to her.

"Well, since you're an adult and responsible person, you must know that you should have more than just coffee in your stomach while you are taking your medication."

Enough. She rose abruptly, ready to face him. What she didn't count on was her weakness and the sudden dizziness that arose the moment she stood up, making her whole body falter.

"Easy, Swan." Killian was there in an instant, his strong arms holding her to keep her from falling. And she hated him a little more for that. Or she loved him more, depending on how she wanted to think about it.

"I'm fine." Emma hissed as she stirred to escape his grasp. His touch suddenly felt like too much, leaving her weakened to face him. Still, as she was already standing, she headed toward the kitchen with still hesitant steps, uncomfortable by the moment of previous tension.

Killian stood still. When Emma finally dared to look at him in the eye, she could detect that he was hurt. His lips pressed together in a grim line and brow furrowed. "If my presence is so annoying, I can leave."

 _Yes, I want you to leave because I can not handle having you so close without having any idea of your feelings. Because all I want is to make _that purse of your lips disappear by pressing mine onto yours_. Because this whole situation is killing me_. However, she didn't have the heart to be so cruel to him, considering her ungrateful behavior so far. Instead, she reached for the bag he had brought with him, inspecting the contents.

Two delightful-looking bear claws were waiting for her. The smell — _like heaven_ — coming through the bag made her mouth water. Without further ado, she grabbed one bear claw, and bit a piece, unable to prevent a sound of pleasure escaping her throat.

A wave of guilt seized her as she glanced at Killian. He hadn't moved from his place, his arms folded across his chest, his expression impassive, his gaze perhaps too intense.

"You want one?" She offered him the other bear claw as a sign of making peace, something funny, considering that he was the one who brought them. Her contrite expression and softer voice, her way to emphasize her offer to make up.

After a deep breath, Killian approached her and grabbed the claw she was holding out. Emma reached for her chocolate to-go cup —with whipped cream and cinnamon, of course. Killian knew all her preferences. Well, almost all of them— and they both had their breakfast in a quiet silence, only broken by some moan of satisfaction as she savored the food. His expression softened the moment he sat next to her on one of her kitchen stools. The previous tension seemed to have diluted, she was comfortable again around her best friend. It must have been the ingestion of sugar, which had brought some lucidity into her mind, she thought.

After finishing their meals, Killian washed his hands and approached her again. "Well, let's examine those little wounds. May I?" Emma suppressed the urge to roll her eyes and nodded instead. He had taken his role as a nurse very seriously and performed the same operation every day, ignoring her complaints and snorts. This time, given their previous little showdown, she simply let him do it.

She sat on the stool as he approached her, his fingers gently pulling back a strand of hair that had fallen on the wound over her left eyebrow. Although their bodies were not touching, she could sense both his warmth and his scent, feeling a little dizzy again, but this time for different reasons. "It looks like it's healing well." A sound of approval accompanied his words, which came in a murmur as if he were speaking to himself.

"What about your shoulder?"

"It still hurts a little." She admitted grudgingly.

"May l?" He pointed at her shoulder, reluctant to touch it without her permission. Emma nodded, her heart hammering in her chest. The tank top she was wearing left her shoulder bare, so Killian turned around behind her and pulled her hair delicately apart, her bruised skin exposed.

She was about to shoot a _patient-doctor style_ joke, but the words died in her mouth the moment she felt his touch. The previous days he had only examined her bruised skin, barely an accidental contact of his fingers on her skin. This time, though, his fingertips traced delicate patterns over her shoulder, pressing gently, his touch almost imperceptible, like a feather, but enough to send a chill down her spine and leaving a path of goosebumps. _Damn traitorous body._

"Does it hurt?" He murmured, his warm breath caressing her neck.

Emma shook her head slightly, her throat unable to make any coherent sound. She remained still, his fingers continuing their course over her skin.

From her position, she couldn't see his movements but she could feel his body coming closer to hers, his lips approaching dangerously to the skin of her neck. Emma closed her eyes, her heart pounding as she launched a silent prayer for Killian to finally press his lips against her skin. The touch never came. Instead, his warm breath, a sufficient substitute to send waves of heat toward her center.

After a few seconds that seemed eternal and at the same time they seemed to have lasted only an instant, his fingers finally moved away, her body missing his warmth in the same moment.

He cleared his throat. "It looks nasty, but I guess that's a sign that it's healing too. Have you taken your pain pills?" Despite the embarrassing moment, his voice seemed calm, as if he hadn't been about to kiss her neck. Because this time she was sure it had not been just her imagination.

"Uh-huh," she mumbled, avoiding his gaze.

Emma got up then, walked to the sofa and dropped into it. She knew without looking, that Killian was picking up the remains of breakfast, but she was not in the mood to argue with him that she wasn't an invalid and could clean her own apartment. So she tried to direct her thoughts down a different way. "Any plans for this morning? Don't you have to rehearse or something?"

Killian joined her on the couch, grabbing the TV remote. "Nope, just to delight you with my company and keep you from dying of boredom. Who does it have to choose today?" He gestured toward the television, as he bumped his shoulder lightly with hers — the good one, fortunately.

"It's ten o'clock in the morning, Jones. Don't you have something better to do?" As she spoke, she snatched the TV remote from his hands, a giggle bubbling in her throat as she saw his expression of surprise at her unexpected movement.

He ignored her question. Instead, he let out a sigh of resignation. "Okay, you're choosing, I guess."

They spent the next few minutes in silence, their eyes focused on the screen. Her mind, however, was not paying attention to the show but was experiencing an internal struggle. On the one hand, the fact that Killian cared so much about her was a balm to her heart. On the other hand, his proximity made her feel frustrated and confused. It was like having a treasure at your fingertips without ever reaching it.

This situation was not new to them. They had already shared countless Netflix sessions or movie marathons both in her apartment and in his. For that reason, she buried the disturbing thoughts in a corner of her mind, ready to spend the morning huddled next to her best friend.

After a few minutes, she felt an extra weight on her shoulder. Killian had tilted his head slightly and was now resting on her. A few seconds later, she heard soft snores. He had fallen asleep.

A wave of guilt washed over her then. Her heart tightened as a lump formed in her throat. Until now, she had not been fully aware of the fact that Killian had come to her apartment every morning since the accident. Despite working late into the night, he came to her house early in the morning just to ensure her well-being. And yet, she was utterly sulky concerned with him, without even bothering to be grateful to him.

She was a coward. Although their displays of affection were plentiful, only in those moments when he was asleep and unaware of her actions, she dared to really show her feelings beyond friendship.

She moved his body gently to prevent him from waking up, placing his head on her lap, so that he was more comfortable. He stammered something in his sleep, but his breathing remained calm and he didn't protest the change of position.

Her fingers then slid over his hair, caressing it gently, depositing in these affectionate caresses all the gratitude and affection she didn't dare to utter aloud.

* * *

Two days later she was tired of being locked up at home. She had the feeling that if she didn't get a change of scenery soon, her head would explode, and not because of her concussion. So, ignoring the advice of her friends, she returned to work on Thursday afternoon.

At the very moment she entered _The Kraken_ , she was enveloped by a bear hug from Liam. "Welcome back, love." Emma smiled at him, pleased to see him in his usual place and not worrying about her at home.

Although Liam didn't get as far as Killian, he had come to visit her more often than usual in recent days. He behaved more like a brother, while Killian... She unconsciously turned her eyes to the stage. There he was, guitar in hand, his gaze focused on her, his lips curled into a wide smile with the ability to melt her heart.

Emma spent the first half hour catching up with the business. She had missed _The Kraken_ , she considered it as her second home — well, rather the third one, considering she spent half her free time at the Jones' house — She allowed herself a few moments, letting her gaze wander around and reveling in the little details. The boat-shaped bar, the perfectly arranged shelves with the different drinks, the stage area, all the sailor motifs that adorned the walls. Even the characteristic smell of the bar. Her lips parted in a smile of satisfaction. She was back.

Nothing had changed in her absence. The website was still working quite well, customers were still leaving reviews and compliments to the three of them and the poll she had created to help in choosing the next song for the duet didn't stop to get participants. At that moment she realized that she hadn't spoken yet with Killian about that, and since it was Thursday, they had to hurry up with the rehearsals if they wanted to have the song ready in time.

For that reason, the instant Killian took a break in the rehearsals, she approached to him to comment the subject. "Hey, the poll is working well. Do you think we should sing the winning song or have you thought of another one?" She looked up at the stage, her hands tucked into the back pockets of her pants.

"For the duet?" He put his hand behind his ear to scratch there, something he always did when he was nervous for some reason.

"Yeah, for this Saturday."

"Hey, about that. Liam ... why don't you explain it to her?" Killian turned to his brother, avoiding her gaze. She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes, intrigued by what was happening.

"Yeah, is there something you have to tell me, Liam?" Since Killian was still ignoring her, Emma turned to face his brother.

He stood behind the counter, arms crossed over his chest, a glacial glance directed at Killian.

"Liam..." Emma insisted with a warning tone.

His eyes focused on her this time. After clearing his throat, he finally explained himself. "Uhm, we thought that since you're still convalescing, it's better if this Saturday you stay around the crowd, just taking photos. We don't want to burden you with work."

"What?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You mean that I'm recovered enough to take pictures and serve drinks, activities in which I have to use my still sore arm, but I can't get on stage for just three minutes?" Her tone was rising as she spoke, clearly annoyed and disappointed with the two brothers.

"No one ever talked about serving drinks. In fact, you shouldn't even be here. You haven't fully recovered yet, but since you insisted, we thought it would be a good idea for you to resume your work slowly." His calm speech was meant to placate her anger, she was aware, but he failed spectacularly. Far from being reassured, she was growing angry.

She turned abruptly, facing Killian again, pointing at him with an accusing finger. "This was your idea, wasn't it?" she hissed, her jaw clenched.

"Swan ..." His gaze at last held hers, but she didn't like what she saw as she looked into his eyes. Instead of looking regretful, his expression showed that he was about to lose his temper. The fact that he was still on stage didn't' help either. She felt small as she had to face him looking up.

"Oh, you dare look at me, now. You're a coward, using your brother that way..." She was harsher than she intended, but this whole thing was throwing her off. At this point, she couldn't stop. She needed to discharge all the frustration she had accumulated over the last several days. "Who do you think you are to decide what is most convenient for me?"

"Are you going to let me explain myself or not?" She was getting him angry, she could tell by the way the muscles in his jaw tightened and by his tone of voice, something higher than normal. Yet he held himself in place, without losing his self-control.

Emma ignored his question. She didn't need explanations, all she needed was to vent her anger somehow. "I do not want explanations. I'm sick of your overprotection. I didn't ask for it, I don't want it. I know how to take care of myself. I don't need you." She regretted the moment her words came out of her mouth, but couldn't help herself.

At least her words got a reaction on Killian. He stepped off the stage, his arms on either side of his body, his hands curled into fists, his gaze so cold it could freeze the warmest heart. She'd only seen that look of fury on his face as he faced some guy trying to take advantage of her in the bar. "I need some fresh air." He muttered under his breath, passing by and heading to the exit.

In a second, Killian vanished from the room. It was then that the reality of what had happened hit her hard. She felt defeated, her frustration, far from dissipating, had increased. _Well done, Emma_. Besides not feeling any relief, she also had used her best friend, the most important person in her life as a punching bag, getting to infuriate him like never before.

She let out a deep breath, walked with defeated steps and sank onto a counter stool. Not daring to look at Liam, she whispered with her head buried in her arms crossed on the counter. "I fucked up."

 _What is wrong with me? Why am I being such an asshole lately?_ She wanted to have magic to be able to go back in time or cast a memory loss spell on _The Kraken_ so that everyone would forget what had just happened. Reluctant to lift her head, she hoped Liam would begin to give her the talk. He remained silent, though, so she gave up and, after a sigh, finally dared to look at her boss.

Liam was looking at her, his arms crossed over his chest and a serious expression on his face, but he didn't seem angry.

"Okay, come on, lecture me."

Her boss continued in silence for another few seconds, his hand caressing his jaw as if he were debating what to say to her. After a deep exhalation, he finally spoke.

"Do you know that Killian almost had a panic attack when he saw you fall and hit your head against the icy trail? In fact, we all worried. You were about to lose consciousness, Emma."

Although his voice remained calm, without a hint of reprimand, she felt more and more uncomfortable, knowing in advance that she would not like what she was going to hear. Still, she bit her lower lip and nodded in silence, encouraging him to continue.

"Killian is overprotective, it's in his nature. He acts in this way with me, with you and he also was overprotective with Milah." Her heart fell to her stomach when she heard the name of Killian's first love. Even Liam had to pause, in clear evidence that he was also affected when talking about her. "I know it can be a bit overwhelming at times, but when you've lost almost everything in life, you can't risk losing anyone else. You should know it, Emma."

Emma tried to swallow the lump growing in her dry throat. Liam's words weighing like slabs on her shoulders. Tears threatened to spill over, but she pressed her eyes tightly, preventing them from falling.

Liam rested his arms on the counter and reached out his hand, holding her chin gently. "Tell me, Emma, how would you have acted, if Killian had been the injured person?"

Emma put her hands on her face, her palms pressing hard against her eyes to keep the tears from falling. Everything was in vain. She shook her head. "Oh God, I've been a real pain in the ass." She couldn't deny it. She'd have acted in exactly the same way or even worse.

"I would have probably killed that guy in the first place and then camped in your apartment to make sure he was fully recovered." She admitted, her voice accompanied by a sound mixed between a snort and a sob. She had been so ridiculous.

"So, do you understand now that we care about you? We know that you are a tough lass. You've had to take care of yourself for a long time. Why don't you let others take that role now? More, you better accept it because neither Elsa nor I, let alone the idiot I have as a brother, will never let you down."

A sense of gratitude seized her. Tears were now flowing freely down her cheeks and the lump in her throat kept her from speaking, so she did what she did best in these cases. She acted. She moved quickly to reach the area behind the bar where Liam stood and lunged at him, burying her face against his chest, her arms tight around his waist. "Thank you," she whispered.

Liam responded to her embrace, holding her against him, his hand gently caressing her back. "And now, don't you think you should do something else?" He murmured against her ear.

Emma pulled away a little, noting how his chin was pointing toward the exit. After another sigh, she wiped her tears as she bit her lower lip. "Do you think he'll forgive me?"

To her surprise, Liam burst into laughter. "If you look at him with those puppy eyes and that contrite expression, I'm pretty sure he will. Besides, I don't think he can be mad at you for more than ten seconds. But just in case, this might help." Liam handed her two bottles of beer.

Before she began to walk, he stopped her, Killian's coat in his hand. "Take this, it's freezing cold out there and the idiot didn't grab his coat." Emma nodded, the corners of her lips raised slightly. She grabbed her coat as well, and as she put it on, an idea of how she could handle her conversation with Killian popped into her mind.

As she walked toward the exit the realization of what both Killian and Liam meant to her settled into her heart, making it beat faster and pulling a smile on her lips. Liam was to her as the brother she had always dreamed of, a protective rock that would keep her back forever. And Killian... Killian was everything to her. The admission of her feelings was a fact, now she just had to overcome her irrational fear and find the courage to admit her feelings before him as well. That would not happen today, but her whole body vibrated in anticipation. _Soon_ , she whispered to herself.

A gust of cold wind hit her in the face the moment she stepped outside. "Shit." Her breath came out in steam puffs as she looked up to find Killian, without result.

A sigh of resignation escaped her mouth. She had hoped to remedy the situation as soon as possible, but it seemed that Killian was not going to make it easy. At least she had an idea of where she could go, so she immediately directed her steps toward the docks near the bar.

The moment she saw the docks, her gaze scanned the area and luckily, she soon found Killian. He was leaning against the railing, his sight lost in the ocean, remaining impassive despite the freezing cold.

Emma approached tentatively, all her determination suddenly gone, replaced by fear of how he might react to her presence. But Emma was not a coward. Besides, she had forgotten the gloves and the damn beers were freezing her hand, so she had better get rid of at least one of them sooner.

"Hey." Emma paused, waiting for a reaction from Killian. He frowned at her, then turned his gaze back to the horizon.

"You forgot this." She handed him his coat. "You and I know that if you catch a cold it will be my turn to become your nurse, but better if we do not take a chance, eh?" Her words came in a conciliatory tone, all the previous anger gone.

Killian grabbed his coat and put it on, still avoiding her gaze. He reached into his pockets until he found something. Gloves. Then he handed them to her without a word, taking the beers from her hand.

She accepted them with a half smile. Her heart warmed at Killian's gesture. Nevertheless, despite her hurtful words and his anger, he still found a way to ensure her well-being.

"You came here to tell me that it would be all right if you took care of me, but it's wrong if I do the same?" When he finally decided to speak, his words did not show anger, he seemed defeated and hurt.

Emma swallowed hard, but since she had come this far, she did not flinch. "I came here because it's freezing cold." Before continuing, she reached out her arm, her hand squeezing gently his forearm, catching his attention at last. His eyes sought hers, a raised eyebrow, encouraging her to continue. "And to tell you that I'm sorry I've behaved like an asshole before." She looked up at him from beneath her lashes, hoping that both her words and her expression showed how regretted she was.

Killian let out a deep breath. "I'm sorry too, Swan." He ran his hand over his face, pinching the bridge of his nose. The look he gave her then made her heart flip. It was so intense, so charged with feelings that she had to blink for a moment to make sure she was not imagining it. "Maybe we shouldn't have made decisions for you, but you'd better get used to it, Emma. You're too important to Liam... and to me. You're not alone anymore."

"I'm getting the idea. I have had to take care of myself for so long that sometimes I forget that now I have both of you and Elsa."

"I know you're a tough and brave lass, but when you've been sick with a cold, you've let us take care of you. What was different this time?"

"I ... I don't know. I guess I was scared too." Emma admitted.

They remained silent for a few seconds, their gazes locked onto the ocean, the view of the horizon acting as a calming effect, her heart finally beating at a normal pace.

"I gather that this is your way of making up, but, seriously, did you think that with this cold, beers were a good idea?" A sigh of relief escaped her mouth as his lips curled into a smirk, his eyes regaining their usual glow. He handed her one of the beers.

Emma snorted. "That's your brother's fault. We could set up a coffee machine for these kinds of occasions." She joked, the tension between them finally gone.

"You could have turned to rum, instead." He bumped her shoulder lightly with his.

She raised her beer. "A toast, then?" Killian nodded, the two bottles crashing into the air. "Cheers," they both said in unison.

After the first sip, Killian opened his arms. "You're shivering, Swan, come here." She didn't think twice and practically slammed into him, his warm body welcoming her, his arms wrapping around her shoulders tightly. She buried her head in his chest, feeling vulnerable but also safe and protected. This time that didn't matter to her at all.

"I can't lose you." His words came in a whisper so faint that she wasn't sure she had heard his voice or it was only the sound of the wind playing with her imagination.

* * *

 _Saturday night._

The music from the stage enveloped _The Kraken_ , the crowd kept chanting the lyrics, clapping and dancing to the rhythm of the melody. Emma glided among the people taking photos, immortalizing the success of the concert in the form of enraptured faces, arms raised and smiles directed towards the stage.

It was a great night. She felt exultant. After making peace, Emma and Killian had been glued to each other for as long as possible, as if trying to make up after their fight. She felt almost fully recovered, a slight ache on her shoulder the only vestige of her accident.

She stared at the stage, licking her lips. Killian was giving it all up on stage, totally devoted to his audience. _Damn it!_ He was irresistible that night. White shirt, black vest and tight jeans, the perfect set to make her want to climb up there and have her way with him without caring anything or anyone. For Emma, it was relatively easy to hide her feelings, but when it came to physical attraction, she found it increasingly difficult to resist the temptation.

The echo of the last song still resonated in the room when Emma realized that the concert had almost reached its final stretch. She thought with resignation that now it would be her turn to get on the stage if it wasn't for the damn accident.

She couldn't keep the corner of her lips from pulling into a small smile. Three weeks ago she had been horrified at the idea of public singing. And now singing a duet with Killian had become one of her favorite activities. It was as if all her inhibitions and fears would be forgotten during that brief interval of time. She felt free to express her feelings through music and could be close to Killian, forming part of his small bubble up to the stage. It was magical, electric and addictive. And she was missing it a lot.

Killian's potent voice addressing the audience brought her back to reality. She gave him an inquiring look. "Whoa! It's been a fantastic night, guys, thank you very much to everyone for your dedication." The crowd broke into applause and cheers. Killian waited for them to calm down, as he bowed, the smile of satisfaction never disappearing from his face.

Then his gaze looked for hers and the moment his eyes met hers he winked and continued to speak to the audience. "Under normal circumstances now would be the time to welcome Emma to the stage to accompany me on the last song. Unfortunately, that is not going to happen today." Some people in the audience expressed their disappointment, but Killian kept talking. "She is convalescing after a mishap she suffered a few days ago. She is fine, but we think it is better if she lets this week pass. But don't worry, next Saturday she will be here again, by my side and all of us will enjoy her great talent." The crowd clapped around her. Some people even turned and directed her words and looks of encouragement.

"Even though she's not going to be up here today, this is still our moment. That's why I wanted to dedicate the next song to her. Sometimes you get the worst cards in the game of life, but there are people like Emma, who has an inner strength enough to overcome all obstacles. She is the toughest and bravest person I know. A fighter. A survivor. She wanted to be up here today despite everything. So I hope this little gesture partly compensates her disappointment. This one is for you, Swan."

The audience began to roar around her, but she didn't listen to them. All her senses focused on Killian. Her eyes filled with tears at the unexpectedness of his dedication. Damn bastard and his ability to leave her speechless. He was also looking at her, his eyes full of apology and maybe hope, his smile sending a wave of affection straight to her heart. She nodded in silence, her lips moving in a silent _Thank you_.

That was all he needed. His fingers slid over the strings of his guitar, creating the first notes. Emma let out a gasp as she recognized the song, the first chords bringing to her memory one of the first moments shared with Killian soon after meeting.

 _Three weeks after starting work at The Kraken, Emma was at the bar, concentrating on her work of editing photos. Killian should be rehearsing. Instead, he sporadically threw some personal questions to her in order, she supposed, to try to get to know her better._

 _Emma managed to give evasive answers or simply rolled her eyes without bothering to respond. This was until Killian asked her the next question, a genuine curiosity in both his voice and his expression._

 _Just who are you, Emma Swan?"_

 _The lyrics of a song came to her mind instantly, and before she even realized what she was doing, she heard her own words. "I'm a survivor."_

 _The answer seemed to satisfy Killian. He grinned and directed his gaze to his guitar. At the first chords, Emma gave such a start that she almost fell off her stool. What the hell? Was this guy some kind of sorcerer or something with a power to read her mind? He began to sing the same song that had come to her mind just a few seconds before.  
_

 _"Rising up, back on the street_  
 _Did my time, took my chances_  
 _Went the distance, now I'm back on my feet_ _  
_Just a 'woman' and her will to survive."

 _The bastard changed the gender on purpose. Although she would never admit it, that was the point of no return in the escalation of her feelings towards him._

Killian's melodic voice brought her back to reality. The same verses she had heard in her memories, now sounding around her. He even changed the gender again to make sure, in case there was any doubt, that the song was aimed at her and only at her.

Despite being surrounded by people, it was as if everything around them had ceased to exist except for them, wrapped under the protection formed by their particular bubble in the form of a melody.

It was curious how a song that had nothing romantic in it, and even was used as a soundtrack in a boxing movie, had the ability to create an unbreakable nexus between them. Emma felt an almost uncontrollable desire to get on the stage and join him in singing _The_ _Eye of The Tiger_ with a shouting voice. She suppressed her desire, though, knowing that she would have the opportunity to thank him for the gesture as soon as he stepped down from the stage. Her whole body vibrated in anticipation of the embrace they would share once his performance was over.

The audience began to applaud even before the echo of the last notes faded. Emma, of course, joined them, arms raised high while cheering. Killian had to wait for the crowd to calm down to speak again.

"Thank you very much to everyone." His voice came shortness of breath by the effort. "Remember that you can check our website. The poll to choose the duet song's next week is still up. You're the best, guys!" He shouted enthusiastically, gaining a new wave of applause.

Emma hurried to the side of the stage where Killian would appear, standing at her usual spot. Her heart was beating hard against her rib cage, her skin tingling in anticipation. The moment he stepped down from the stage, she began to walk in his direction, her smile so wide it made her cheeks hurt.

What Emma saw next, however, left her paralyzed, unable to keep walking, her previous smile faded in an instant. Before Killian noticed her, he was surrounded by two fans, two very enthusiastic girls who kept smiling at him, touching him and interposing in her vision. _Dammit!_

She hesitated for a second, but suddenly she turned in the direction of the bar, an urgent need to ingest some alcohol settled in her stomach. No, she was not jealous. _Who am I kidding?_ Yes, a wave of unfounded jealousy seized her, making her good mood disappear, giving way to the sullen mood of the previous days. She sank onto a stool as far as possible from the bar area where Liam was serving.

"Mike!" She called one of the waiters. "A shot of tequila, please."

Mike raised an eyebrow, a gesture that reminded Killian too much. _Shit! Shit! She was so fucked up_... "Are you sure? Your shift is not over yet."

"I'm still convalescing and I'm taking a break. Would you like me to go behind the counter and serve it myself?" She hated herself the moment her words came out of her mouth in such a sharp tone. The poor guy was just doing his job. It was not his fault that she was hopelessly in love with her best friend but was so coward she could not confess her feelings.

Mike raised his hands in peace and without further words, poured the drink. She was aware that her behavior was totally childish, but she couldn't help feeling disappointed because that was their moment, the moment the two always shared. Right at the end of his performance whether or not she was with him on stage or below, the first thing he always did was to hug her. It was their thing. And today, of all the days, the moment was even more justified. But it was all ruined by a handful of fans. Although she didn't blame them, obviously, because who wouldn't fall for a guy like him?

She still hadn't taken the glass to her lips when suddenly, she felt two strong arms around her waist, a warm body leaning on her back and an unmistakable scent penetrated her nose, making her feel a little dizzy. "I was looking for you, Swan." His words whispered in her ear sending a chill down her spine and a wave of heat toward her very core.

A sigh of relief escaped her throat, not caring at all that his display of affection was perhaps too intimate. She rested her back against his chest, her hand gently caressing his forearm, getting him to tighten his embrace. "Uhm, it looked like you were busy with those girls, I did not mean to interrupt."

The chuckle that bubbled in his throat tickled her ear. "We're jealous, aren't we?" Killian withdrew his arms and walked away, sitting down on the stool next to hers. She missed his contact instantly, but she straightened her back, trying to hide her disappointment.

"Keep dreaming, Jones." — _of course I am_ —

"And that drink?" Killian cocked his head and narrowed his eyes, getting Emma rolled her eyes.

"I don't have to take medication anymore if that's what's bothering you." Emma paused as an idea formed in her head. "I was waiting for you to join me, to toast in honor of your performance and to thank you for the dedication."

"About that." As he spoke, Killian gestured for Mike to serve him, then put his hand behind his ear. "It was the least I could do, given the circumstances."

The way he was looking at her with such intensity made it almost impossible to restrain her impulses and throw her arms around his neck as her mouth devoured him. Instead, she tried to distract her mind to avoid doing anything she could regret later. It was all in vain. Because all she could think of was that, thanks to the new unexpected plan that Elsa had brought, they were going to spend next Monday night together again. She was not quite sure what the intentions of both Liam and Elsa were, but, despite her emerging suspicions, she was not going to give up the opportunity to spend as much time as possible with Killian. Although it was almost like a torture to her. A sweet torture, actually.

* * *

 _Edited, thanks for reading :)_


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